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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ilex" data-source="post: 6162452" data-attributes="member: 82687">34x01The day dragged past, the wind soughing in the pines outside the cave’s entrance, the party restlessly inventing and discarding plan after plan for negotiating with—or ambushing—their hoped-for visitor. Savina cast the ritual Banish Vermin just inside the mouth of the cave, blocking the entrance and creating a zone within that would be safe from spying rats and other servants of the mysterious woman. Kormick and Arden lurked behind the tumbled boulders around the cave’s mouth, hidden from approaching eyes—just in case.  The rest of the party, Rose at their center, waited in plain sight within the ritual-protected safe zone inside the cave. And they waited. Finally, the sun sent long shafts of light through the trees from the western horizon.  Slowly the light faded, and dusk settled over the pines outside.  The wind rushed in the forest like a distant ocean and sent leaves skittering past the cave’s entrance.  A small dark shape swooped past the cave’s entrance, and Savina saw the flash of a dagger in the shadows as Arden nearly threw her blade before realizing that the shape was merely a hunting bat.  Another bat flitted past the cave entrance, then another, then two together, looping dizzily.  Then there were five.  Then ten.  “Not natural,” muttered Kormick, and now it wasn’t just leaves skittering at the cave’s mouth, there was skittering behind them, too, against the back wall of the cave where Savina’s ritual zone didn’t reach.  Tavi threw a torch against the back wall: it was alive with rats, beetles, and worms, all the cracks in the rock squirming with life.  Arden gasped, Kormick cursed, and both of them dodged back into the safe zone, flicking centipedes and spiders off their arms and legs. Countless bats now darkened the cave’s mouth.  And it wasn’t just bats: Savina glimpsed crows, robins, and finches swirling around with the bats. They were surrounded.  Savina consulted her feelings, gave a sharp nod, and spoke loudly, making Rose jump: “This is a rude response to a friendly request for parlay.” “Typical crime boss, arriving with a show of force,” added Kormick.  “Let’s leave,” said Savina. “I will not play audience to this display.”  In answer, the birds and bats pulled back to either side, like a curtain parting on a stage, making a living tunnel in front of the cave’s mouth.  The ground, a mat of beetles, gathered itself together, each shiny body piling onto the next in a mound, then suddenly the beetles were forming themselves into arms, legs, head—and suddenly there were no beetles at all but an older woman dressed in blue and green standing before the cave’s entrance. It was the Alirrian Tender whom Twiggy had seen in her magical investigation of the pot shard. “Greetings, Sister,” said Savina.  “I’m pleased you accepted our invitation.”  “My name is Sister Orchid, and I have no interest in further violence,” answered the woman. Kormick’s snort made no attempt to hide his skepticism, but Savina thought the woman seemed sincere.  Sincere, and sad, and very, very concerned. “You have attacked us several times. What do you fear from us?” Savina asked her. “I fear little from you,” the woman answered, “but I do fear…” She raised a finger, and pointed at Rose. “What do you fear from her, then?” Savina asked. “I know who and what she is.  I know the danger she represents.” Savina felt Mena, Tavi, and Twiggy draw closer to Rose as Kormick gave an exasperated sigh.  “Let us speak plainly,” he said.  “Why?  Who are you?  Why have you come after our friend?”  “The Church of Alirria has been watching her for some time,” said Orchid.  “We are confident in our conclusions.  She is dangerous.” “She’s just a young woman!” Savina burst out. “I know. But she is also the Sacrifice of Death, and the Church has tasked me with making sure her doom does not come to pass.” Mena put her hand on Rose’s shoulder. “Again, we ask you to speak plainly,” she said.  “Tell us everything you know.  Rose also wants to hear it.” Rose nodded, her face very pale in the darkness. Savina watched Orchid’s lips form into a thin, unhappy line.  The woman didn’t want to explain. “Let’s start with this,” Kormick said. “When I say I work for Kettenek, I sometimes mean something different than… let’s say… Justicars from other places, or other Kettenek-ish orders and whatnot.  What is your particular version of the Church of Alirria?” He was fishing to find out if she represented a strange splinter group of the church, which made sense to Savina, until the woman’s next words chilled her heart: “I work for the Council of Mothers,” said Orchid. The Council of Mothers was the governing body of the entire Alirrian Church on the Peninsula.  Savina’s order answered to them, as did all the other Alirrian sects.  If the Council of Mothers had sent this attacker after Rose…. “Why,” whispered Savina.  Then she raised her voice firmly.  “Why wait until now, and why do you pursue us with violence?  If the Council itself is concerned about Rose, why not talk to her and her family years ago?” “We have studied, we have debated, we have gone over and over our conclusions.  And then, when you acted, when Rose ran away, we realized that we could risk no further hesitation—so I was sent forth.” “And your mission?” asked Mena. “I must kill her,” said Orchid, “to keep her from danger of death by the wrong hand.”</blockquote>

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