- PipM,
It was two and a half days hard ride before they reached the Capitol. Karina wasted no time, but headed straight for the Academy of Wizardry. Once there, she and Helga were escorted to a waiting room. They waited fifteen minutes and, after the rush to get to the city, the delay chafed at Karina. Presently, the door opened to allow an old man with a long, gray beard into the room.
"I apologize for the delay, but I am not able to move as fast as I once used to," he stated with a sincere smile. "My name is Asmosa. What may I do to help you?"
"I'm Lady Karina of Dosser, the wife of Baron Tenan. I am looking for a student here, Nyrandurril."
"Ah, yes, so they told me. Unfortunately, Mistress Nyrandurril is engaged in study at this moment. She will not be free for another hour or so. Please, make yourself comfortable here. I will send her here as soon as she is available. Food and drink will be sent up. Do you require anything else?"
"I, uh, thought you just conjured up everything you needed," said Helga hesitantly.
Asmosa laughed a deep, rich laugh in contrast to his thin frame. He waved his hand over the table and mumbled a phrase. A flagon materialized on the table.
"The trouble with conjuring food and drink is that it never tastes as good as the real thing," he explained to Helga. "It fills and nourishes you, but always lacks something. A colleague of mine has put forth that it has to do with memory. I think it has to do with the subtly of spices. Compare this to the wine I will have sent up."
Asmosa left and a servant soon appeared with the food and wine. Karina and Helga compared the wines and, true to Asmosa's word, the wine he had conjured was inferior in taste to the real thing. Karina and Helga relaxed in comfortable chairs as they waited.
"This was easy," said Helga as she nibbled on some cheese.
"Finding Nyrandurril was easy," agreed Karina, "but we still have to convince her to go through with the ritual. At least we know who she is though. What worries me are the women who have greatly influenced Per. Who could they be?"
Helga sat silently, mulling over the question. She suddenly sat up straight and gasped. "I know someone who has influenced him enough to be in the ritual," she said white-faced. "You won't like it."
"Who?" asked Karina with trepidation.
"Queen Shara."
"That bitch!" There could be no doubt that the Queen's actions had influenced Per. Her death warrant had forced him to leave home and go adventuring.
"That is going to be a problem," said Karina, reluctantly agreeing. "I have to admit that the sleazy whore has influenced Per's life a great deal. But how I'll ever convince her to make love to Per is beyond me. For right now, let's concentrate on finding the others."
A soft rap on the door interrupted the two of them. "Come in," called out Karina.
The door opened and a lithe female elf walked into the room. "Hello, Helga," said the elf, who then turned to Karina. "I'm Nyrandurril. You sent for me, milady?"
"I'm Karina, Per's mother. I need to talk to you privately."
A look of astonishment passed over Nyrandurril's face before the look was replaced by a smile. "I am honored to meet you. Per has been a true friend to me. Shall we go to your inn or do you have a place here in the city?"
"We came straight here and have not been to see to an inn yet," said Karina.
"Then both of you must stay at our house," said Nyrandurril.
"Our house?" asked Helga.
"Yes, I share a house with Melinar."
"Melinar!" exclaimed Karina. "We needed to find her, too. We would be delighted to stay with you, but we do not have much time."
"Then come," said Nyrandurril.
She quickly led them through the streets to the house she shared with Melinar. They dropped the horses off at the nearby livery stable and walked up to the house. They were met at the front door by a young woman who was almost as stacked as Karina was.
"Helga!" cried out the woman. "It's been a long time. How are you?"
"I'm fine, Melinar. I would like you to meet Karina, Per's mother. She needs to talk to you and Nyrandurril."
The same look of astonishment that had passed over Nyrandurril's face also reflected on Melinar's face. After a couple of seconds, she shook herself back to reality. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I never expected to see you."
"You probably had a different image of me, I suppose," said Karina with a smile.
Melinar looked serious. "Yes and no. Anyway, come inside. We can talk over dinner."
"Melinar, I asked them to stay with us," said Nyrandurril.
"If that is a problem, we can stay at an inn," replied Karina.
"It's not, if you two don't mind sharing a bedroom," said Melinar. "Please, come in. You know you just missed seeing your son by two days."
"What? He was here?" asked Karina, a little startled.
"Yes, he took off after the kidnappers of Queen Shara," said Melinar.
"The Queen was kidnapped?" exclaimed Karina, now in shock.
"Hadn't you heard?" asked Melinar.
"No, we pushed our horses to get here to find you. We've been on the road for over two days and didn't stop to talk with anyone. I was wondering why the gate guards were searching everything that left the city thoroughly," said Karina. "How did Per get involved?"
"He saw the abduction take place and is now chasing after them," said Nyrandurril.
"It appears that we both have stories to tell," said Melinar. "Why don't you get settled in and wash up. I'll show you to your room."
"I apologize for the delay, but I am not able to move as fast as I once used to," he stated with a sincere smile. "My name is Asmosa. What may I do to help you?"
"I'm Lady Karina of Dosser, the wife of Baron Tenan. I am looking for a student here, Nyrandurril."
"Ah, yes, so they told me. Unfortunately, Mistress Nyrandurril is engaged in study at this moment. She will not be free for another hour or so. Please, make yourself comfortable here. I will send her here as soon as she is available. Food and drink will be sent up. Do you require anything else?"
"I, uh, thought you just conjured up everything you needed," said Helga hesitantly.
Asmosa laughed a deep, rich laugh in contrast to his thin frame. He waved his hand over the table and mumbled a phrase. A flagon materialized on the table.
"The trouble with conjuring food and drink is that it never tastes as good as the real thing," he explained to Helga. "It fills and nourishes you, but always lacks something. A colleague of mine has put forth that it has to do with memory. I think it has to do with the subtly of spices. Compare this to the wine I will have sent up."
Asmosa left and a servant soon appeared with the food and wine. Karina and Helga compared the wines and, true to Asmosa's word, the wine he had conjured was inferior in taste to the real thing. Karina and Helga relaxed in comfortable chairs as they waited.
"This was easy," said Helga as she nibbled on some cheese.
"Finding Nyrandurril was easy," agreed Karina, "but we still have to convince her to go through with the ritual. At least we know who she is though. What worries me are the women who have greatly influenced Per. Who could they be?"
Helga sat silently, mulling over the question. She suddenly sat up straight and gasped. "I know someone who has influenced him enough to be in the ritual," she said white-faced. "You won't like it."
"Who?" asked Karina with trepidation.
"Queen Shara."
"That bitch!" There could be no doubt that the Queen's actions had influenced Per. Her death warrant had forced him to leave home and go adventuring.
"That is going to be a problem," said Karina, reluctantly agreeing. "I have to admit that the sleazy whore has influenced Per's life a great deal. But how I'll ever convince her to make love to Per is beyond me. For right now, let's concentrate on finding the others."
A soft rap on the door interrupted the two of them. "Come in," called out Karina.
The door opened and a lithe female elf walked into the room. "Hello, Helga," said the elf, who then turned to Karina. "I'm Nyrandurril. You sent for me, milady?"
"I'm Karina, Per's mother. I need to talk to you privately."
A look of astonishment passed over Nyrandurril's face before the look was replaced by a smile. "I am honored to meet you. Per has been a true friend to me. Shall we go to your inn or do you have a place here in the city?"
"We came straight here and have not been to see to an inn yet," said Karina.
"Then both of you must stay at our house," said Nyrandurril.
"Our house?" asked Helga.
"Yes, I share a house with Melinar."
"Melinar!" exclaimed Karina. "We needed to find her, too. We would be delighted to stay with you, but we do not have much time."
"Then come," said Nyrandurril.
She quickly led them through the streets to the house she shared with Melinar. They dropped the horses off at the nearby livery stable and walked up to the house. They were met at the front door by a young woman who was almost as stacked as Karina was.
"Helga!" cried out the woman. "It's been a long time. How are you?"
"I'm fine, Melinar. I would like you to meet Karina, Per's mother. She needs to talk to you and Nyrandurril."
The same look of astonishment that had passed over Nyrandurril's face also reflected on Melinar's face. After a couple of seconds, she shook herself back to reality. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I never expected to see you."
"You probably had a different image of me, I suppose," said Karina with a smile.
Melinar looked serious. "Yes and no. Anyway, come inside. We can talk over dinner."
"Melinar, I asked them to stay with us," said Nyrandurril.
"If that is a problem, we can stay at an inn," replied Karina.
"It's not, if you two don't mind sharing a bedroom," said Melinar. "Please, come in. You know you just missed seeing your son by two days."
"What? He was here?" asked Karina, a little startled.
"Yes, he took off after the kidnappers of Queen Shara," said Melinar.
"The Queen was kidnapped?" exclaimed Karina, now in shock.
"Hadn't you heard?" asked Melinar.
"No, we pushed our horses to get here to find you. We've been on the road for over two days and didn't stop to talk with anyone. I was wondering why the gate guards were searching everything that left the city thoroughly," said Karina. "How did Per get involved?"
"He saw the abduction take place and is now chasing after them," said Nyrandurril.
"It appears that we both have stories to tell," said Melinar. "Why don't you get settled in and wash up. I'll show you to your room."