Session 10 - Chapter 1
AN AWKWARD MEETING
“Oh no,” Ashlyn said. “This is very bad.”
“This is phenomenally bad,” Thendrick agreed.
“We need to plan. We don’t have time. We can’t go.”
Gerrit grabbed Ashlyn by the elbows and shook her, whispering fiercely. “We have to. If we don’t, he’ll know something’s wrong. We don’t know how much he saw of what just happened out at the cave, so keep your head in the game and play your part. For now
we have to stay alive.”
Arianna sighed and set her shoulders. “Looks like Uncle Strahd wants to have a chat,” she announced with a smile. “Let’s get in.”
As they walked to the carriage, Gerrit handed Arianna something. “Eva said to give you this,” he whispered.
She looked at it. It was a small glass bulb, filled with maybe half a teaspoon of greenish liquid. A molded lead spider design wrapped around the sphere as if to hold it. “What is it?”
“She didn’t say, except that you should leave it somewhere in the castle.”
They reached the coach and Arianna tucked the bulb away into her belt pouch. The Lightbringers stepped inside and made themselves as comfortable as they could. The carriage began its bizarre ride north through the hills. Overhead, the clouds churned in darkness. The rumbles of thunder could be heard distantly, but no rain fell yet.
“Uncle Strahd,” Arianna said with a curtsy. “I’m glad you summoned us, we could use a night in fine warm beds.”
They were standing in some sort of grand sitting room on some floor in Castle Ravenloft. The chairs were lavishly cushioned in red velvet. Several well-filled bookshelves lined the room. A fire burned in the hearth, and before it, Strahd stood admiring a painting of a woman. He turned as the Lightbringers entered the room and gestured to the chairs. “Sit.”
Thendrick cleared his throat, noting with some misery how little light the fire seemed to cast about the room. “Pleased to meet you, sir. I am-“
Strahd’s eye fell on Thendrick and chilled him. “I know who you are. I know who and what you are. I know the things you said of me in the town square. I know more, yet.”
“Uh, yes. An unfortunate misunderstanding, all that.” He sat and squirmed, wishing he were anywhere else. His eyes widened as he looked at the painting over the fireplace and glanced to Arianna. She’d seen it too. The painting on the mantle was a tall portrait, painted in oils. It was a stately woman wearing an evening dress with her dark hair tied up in a noblewoman’s fashion. It was Ireena Kolyana.
Strahd’s back was to the group as he stared at the painting for a moment longer. He shifted his weight, turned and faced them. “Where is the Tome?”
Gerrit said “Oh, that. That was destroyed.”
“It was?”
“Yes, we found it in the werewolf den. We gave it a cursory glance, determined that it was the volume you were looking for, and destroyed it.”
“How?”
“Arianna cast a spell of
create water over it and it was soaked. The pages were very flimsy and the entire thing just fell to ruin. Those witches really don’t know how to make durable propaganda.” He forced a laugh. Strahd didn’t return it.
“So where is it?” Strahd asked.
“Hmm?”
“Where is it?”
“Where is what?”
“Where is the Tome.”
Gerrit slapped his thigh. “Oh! Hah. Well, it went to mush, like I said. Completely destroyed.”
“Where is the mush, then?”
“The Tome-mush? We, uh, we dumped the remnants in the Ivlis river.”
“You did.”
“Oh yes. Absolutely.”
Strahd’s eyes were cold. “Why don’t I believe you?”
Ashlyn stood and walked to the painting, admiring it. “This is remarkable. Did you paint it? Who is this?” Strahd didn’t answer her. “It’s amazingly lifelike. I’m telling you, she’s the spitting image of a woman we met in town. It’s almost…” her eyes narrowed on the painting. She’d found an odd detail. The fire’s light was hitting the raised textures of the brushstrokes and she could swear that the paint was thicker over the woman’s earrings. The style was different as well, almost as if one artist had painted the picture and another had repainted the earrings only. Why? Ashlyn marked it as something to ponder later, when they were out of harm’s way.
“Do not concern yourself with the painting,” Strahd said impatiently. “I’d like to know what really happened at the werewolf den. Spare no detail. Arianna, you may begin.”
Arianna looked around for support. Her friends only looked back at her, unable to offer ideas. “I don’t understand, Gerrit just explained what happened.”
“Gerrit lied and I have forgiven him. Your lies will be more difficult to forgive, Arianna, and we both know why. Tell me what happened. I command it.”
Arianna set her jaw. Immediately Gerrit sensed trouble. Arianna didn’t respond well to veiled threats and commands, and this was no time to be anything but witheringly polite. He glared at her with warning eyes but she didn’t see them. She said “We’ve told you what happened and I’m afraid you’re going to have to accept it.”
“I warn you, my niece. You tread on snakes when you speak to me so defiantly.” Arianna said nothing, staring hotly up into the vampire’s eyes. “My control is broken, then. I see. You others, this is your time to prove yourselves. If you refuse to act according to my whims as Arianna has, I will cast you out from my protection.”
The Lightbringers looked at each other, each hoping the other had a quick plan. Finally it was Thendrick who said “We’ve told you what happened.”
Strahd sighed and seemed to deflate, somehow. His face lowered and he turned back to the painting. “A cog that won’t work is one that must be removed from the clock. Very well. Come with me, I have another room I would like to show you.”
Gerrit stood nervously. “Another room?”
“Yes. It’s just out here. Follow me.” He walked out into the hallway and turned right. His cape swirled behind him as he went.
Toufghar leaned over to the others and whispered. “This is insane, we should leave now and try to make it to Palervale. By noon tomorrow we could be on our way across the ocean, away from here.”
“He could stop us if he wanted to,” Arianna said. “I’ve felt his power.”
Ashlyn said “So why, then, did you talk back to him? Did you not see that that wasn’t terribly smart?”
The elf shrugged. “He commanded me. After being under his control like I was, I’d rather have died than be bent to his orders.”
“If we can’t flee, what do we do?”
Gerrit walked to the door. “We go see this room he’s showing us, we hope for the best, we stay polite, and we leave. We don’t have much of a choice right now.”
The group stepped out into the hall and walked to the glasshouse rosegarden.
Coming up
GIVING THE DEVIL HIS DUE
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