Aresan Clan pt 91

Lipmon lay upon a bed, his head propped up by several soft pillows as a young female servant set some food down beside him: steaming chicken stock, with a chunk of bread, some slices of beef and berries. He looked at the food eagerly and thanked the servant with a smile.

Roderick entered the room just as the servant was leaving and found Lipmon plopping a few berries into his mouth with great pleasure.

“I've never eaten this good in my life,” Lipmon commented when he saw Roderick enter, “And all it took was for me to witness my entire village destroyed and almost be killed twice.”

“The merest trifle,” Roderick replied sarcastically and smiled along with Lipmon who at least presently seemed to be able to see it all in a positive light. “But I was arriving to tell you that I am going to be returning to Orinda-forr for a few days,” Roderick continued, “I would take you with me, but your doctor recommends that you not be moved. I should think that you won't mind staying here, since the luxuries that the High Priest can provide are far superior to those you would find in my more modest home.”

“I’ll stay,” Lipmon said, “But it’s not the luxury that makes me want to stay. It’s that I need to recover quickly so I can join the army. From what I hear, they march soon, perhaps in only a few days.”

“You want to join the army?” Roderick asked, a bit surprised, “Why?”

“Because, if our army meets any resistance from the Omnian armies, then the man who gave me this scar will be surely among them,” Lipmon said, touching his face, “The same man who kidnapped Tann.”

“I can do nothing to discourage you,” Roderick replied shrugging his shoulders with disappointment, “Though you should be told that war is neck-deep in horrors and you are not a trained soldier. If they should give you a sword and let you out onto that battlefield, then certainly you can make the attempt and I hope luck is on your side.”

“I will,” Lipmon said with resolve, “And I won’t fail.”

“Then I may not see you again,” Roderick conceded, “Since you’ll probably have marched by the time I return.”

The two men shared a sober parting, and afterwards Roderick walked from the room. He exited from the High Priest’s castle, which was directly adjoining to the palace complex. He took a rickshaw to the house where he’d been staying in Waldoon and where his carriage waited. His baggage had already been prepared and the horses harnessed and ready, such that he merely had to step into the carriage and his driver immediately put it into motion.

It took most of the day for him to travel to Orinda-forr. He was driven over the bridge and through the gates of the village, waving to the guards that currently manned it. The horses were led up a sloped road, which approached the spacious home he occupied overlooking Orinda-forr. The house sprawled across the hill, its upper stories peaking up above the trees and it’s bottom story fronted by a set of stone columns.

The driver pulled directly into the stables. Roderick hopped off immediately and told his driver, “I’ll send someone to grab my trunk,” as he promptly walked towards the side entrance to his home.

A servant was there to open the door and deferentially said, “Welcome back, sir.”

“See to it that my luggage is brought in,” Roderick said, handing the man his jacket. The servant bowed and said, “Of course, sir.”

Roderick passed through the house and entered a room on the ground floor at the back known as the bestiary. The room was cold since it opened to the exterior. He put his lips to a mouthpiece attached to the wall, and, with all of the strength of his lungs, he blew. The mouthpiece connected to a pipe that spiraled upwards and opened as a large horn, which spewed its sound into the forest.

Roderick’s wife, Esma approached, though she didn’t enter the bestiary with him, instead speaking through a barred window, “Nice to see you back. What’re you calling the creature for?”

“Aleck has been excommunicated,” Roderick said as he reached into a leather sack and pulled out a piece of clothing that had been taken from Mill. A few minutes later a great lynx ran into the bestiary. She halted when she saw Roderick standing there waiting for her.

<-- Go to Part 90         Go to Part 92 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

Lipmon lay upon a bed, his head propped up by several soft pillows as a young female servant set some food down beside him: steaming chicken stock, with a chunk of bread, some slices of beef and berries. He looked at the food eagerly and thanked the servant with a smile.

Roderick entered the room just as the servant was leaving and found Lipmon plopping a few berries into his mouth with great pleasure.

“I've never eaten this good in my life,” Lipmon commented when he saw Roderick enter, “And all it took was for me to witness my entire village destroyed and almost be killed twice.”

“The merest trifle,” Roderick replied sarcastically and smiled along with Lipmon who at least presently seemed to be able to see it all in a positive light. “But I was arriving to tell you that I am going to be returning to Orinda-forr for a few days,” Roderick continued, “I would take you with me, but your doctor recommends that you not be moved. I should think that you won't mind staying here, since the luxuries that the High Priest can provide are far superior to those you would find in my more modest home.”

“I’ll stay,” Lipmon said, “But it’s not the luxury that makes me want to stay. It’s that I need to recover quickly so I can join the army. From what I hear, they march soon, perhaps in only a few days.”

“You want to join the army?” Roderick asked, a bit surprised, “Why?”

“Because, if our army meets any resistance from the Omnian armies, then the man who gave me this scar will be surely among them,” Lipmon said, touching his face, “The same man who kidnapped Tann.”

“I can do nothing to discourage you,” Roderick replied shrugging his shoulders with disappointment, “Though you should be told that war is neck-deep in horrors and you are not a trained soldier. If they should give you a sword and let you out onto that battlefield, then certainly you can make the attempt and I hope luck is on your side.”

“I will,” Lipmon said with resolve, “And I won’t fail.”

“Then I may not see you again,” Roderick conceded, “Since you’ll probably have marched by the time I return.”

The two men shared a sober parting, and afterwards Roderick walked from the room. He exited from the High Priest’s castle, which was directly adjoining to the palace complex. He took a rickshaw to the house where he’d been staying in Waldoon and where his carriage waited. His baggage had already been prepared and the horses harnessed and ready, such that he merely had to step into the carriage and his driver immediately put it into motion.

It took most of the day for him to travel to Orinda-forr. He was driven over the bridge and through the gates of the village, waving to the guards that currently manned it. The horses were led up a sloped road, which approached the spacious home he occupied overlooking Orinda-forr. The house sprawled across the hill, its upper stories peaking up above the trees and it’s bottom story fronted by a set of stone columns.

The driver pulled directly into the stables. Roderick hopped off immediately and told his driver, “I’ll send someone to grab my trunk,” as he promptly walked towards the side entrance to his home.

A servant was there to open the door and deferentially said, “Welcome back, sir.”

“See to it that my luggage is brought in,” Roderick said, handing the man his jacket. The servant bowed and said, “Of course, sir.”

Roderick passed through the house and entered a room on the ground floor at the back known as the bestiary. The room was cold since it opened to the exterior. He put his lips to a mouthpiece attached to the wall, and, with all of the strength of his lungs, he blew. The mouthpiece connected to a pipe that spiraled upwards and opened as a large horn, which spewed its sound into the forest.

Roderick’s wife, Esma approached, though she didn’t enter the bestiary with him, instead speaking through a barred window, “Nice to see you back. What’re you calling the creature for?”

“Aleck has been excommunicated,” Roderick said as he reached into a leather sack and pulled out a piece of clothing that had been taken from Mill. A few minutes later a great lynx ran into the bestiary. She halted when she saw Roderick standing there waiting for her.

<-- Go to Part 90         Go to Part 92 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

Aresan Clan pt 91