Meet me at the Table

The Round Table is a small, new establishment. Not terribly well known and in a fairly out-of-the-way location. Yet it has what is perhaps most required for this meeting of minds - A large back room. Which can be rented out for a price. A price paid up in advance and with enough to spare that the proprietor of the establishment has stocked the room with drinks and promised that no server will breach the door whilst those that are meeting here are in place.

The weather has turned nice for a change, but there's still a place to hang cloaks by the door to the room. One can never know if and when it will rain during the spring after all. Chairs have been pulled up around a huge round table, and all that awaits now is those that are on their way.

One person, at least, has arrived on the scene early, having been the one to pay the necessary fees to secure the facility. Dolan's requisitioned a keg of ale and a few bottles of wine, and a clutch of mugs to go with it. One of these mugs, filled from the keg, is in his hand, his cloak hanging up in the appointed location, his sword harness atop it, and he's kicked back in the chair, balancing on the end of his spine with his booted feet up on the table.

Aavhash finds herself tangled up in things well beyond her adventuring pay grade. Gods. Avatars. Werewolves. Scars on the moon. She herself could happily forget such nonsense but, she is here still. Entering into the room she sees the great round table and with complete lack of concern, forethought, or even the idea of where she might /supposed/ to sit, moves to the nearest chair, spins it around, and then sits so that she can rest comfortably without removing her weapons. It also helps with the tail. So two things for people to trip on going around her if they're not careful.

Spotting Dolan, Aavhash offers a toothy smile and a wave, "I am pleased you are recovered enough to leave bed now." Her voice congenial and warm, well - as warm as forked tongue hissing and sibilant - her voice can be.

Footfalls, before the door swings open. A bit weary, but the spark, the touch is there again. The dim light outside lines the slender form for a moment, before he steps forward to reveal Telamon, dressed in what looks like a dandy's outfit -- a black velvet brocade tunic and black hose, with a slim leather belt holding his haversack at the hip.

With the glint of silver and gold at his brow and hand, he certainly looks less like an adventurer and more like some nobleman slumming it -- unless you looked into his eyes. While his face is slightly worn with fatigue, the sparkle is back in his eyes, the stars flickering in their depths as he runs a hand through his platinum hair. His eyes falling on Dolan, and his lips curling in a genuine, unfeigned smile as he steps over to the table to take a seat.

Lysos hasn't heard of this place before. She's by no means intimate with the inn, pub, tavern and hospice circuit, yet still she looks a little bit dubious when she arrives. Outside she finds herself even wondering why she came, until she remembers the fight at the gates, that terrifying night.. and the conversation that came later, at the temple. So she takes a deep breath, walks inside. All it takes is dropping Dolan's name before she's shown to the meeting room whereupon she steps inside, looks at the people who've arrived already, then finds a chair not yet adjacent to anyone.

Verna arrives, perhaps more tardy than intended and/or preferred. She doffs her hood after entry, eyes making note of those already present and offering nods of greeting to each along with a "Good day." Her attention continues to move along until reaching Dolan, towards whose table she moves. "It is good to see so many present." A gloved hand then motions to an empty chair in inquiry.

The redhead that accompanied Dolan at his bedside that Aavhash is referring to walks through the door. Andelena's steel-grey gaze settles onto the collected group and her face blooming into a warm smile at Dolan's presence before she looks to Telamon, her expression falling a little. She gently claps Telamon's shoulder. "Hey fella," she says. It's an upgrade from "hey kid", at least. "Surprised you came. Take it easy--I can handle whatever the hell we get into today."

She takes a spot next to Dolan, choosing to stand next to him rather than to sit and kick her feet up.

Last to arrive - so far - is a man familiar to some, and unfamiliar to others. He's not a striking figure, but the uniform he wears - that of the Guardsmen of Alexandria - is certainly notable. As are the markings on it that declare him a Lieutenant. His blue eyes are serious and he stops just inside the door to look around a moment before nodding to everyone politely and gets himself a mug of ale before stepping around and over Aavhash's weapons and tail to a free seat. "Greetings all." He offers this politely before actually sitting down.

As people start arriving, Dolan's booted feet come off of the table, and get tucked underneath the table. "Me too," he greets Aavhash. "Haven't seen you in a bit." He leans forward, straightening up and reaching to snake an arm around Andelena's waist when she approaches him. "Hey, good-looking," he greets her with a cheeky grin, but although he nods greetings to the others, it's Telamon he's got eyes for, and his smile fades. "Got a question for you, Telamon, before we start."

Once seated, Telamon relaxes a bit, reaching into his haversack and pulling out a silver flask, which he takes a pull from. His eyes flick to Andelena's greeting, but he grins at her, as well as Lysos and Verna. "I'm all right," he says firmly. "A little tired, but... it's going to be fine. For both Lana and myself."

He squares his shoulders, studying the lieutenant that enters, before his gaze turns back to Dolan. "Fair enough, but make it quick, I suspect the good Lieutenant Balderdan has a fair amount to cover."

Aavhash smiles again at Dolan's reply then lets her attention wander to the others who arrive after she does. Friendly enough nods are given to those she knows and recognizes. Those she does not get openly curious looks. She folds her arms on the back of her chair in front of her, settling in and patiently observing rather than going for drinks or more conversation.

"I am pleased at that news," Verna assures Telamon as she sits. Andelena receives a polite nod of greeting as she awaits Dolan's line of inquiry (of which she may have some suspicion or presumption) and planned discussion.

Lysos doesn't have much to say. Not yet. Just a look at the other faces, all faces she recognizes from at least one previous time, is enough to convince her that.. yes.. once again this is something that's so much bigger than she's used to. She offers a small, brief smile when she is acknowledged, then rises in her chair enough to reach and claim one of the glasses of wine for herself before settling back.

Andelena grins as she's got a hooked arm around her waist now. "And if it ain't my favorite guy by a long fuckin' mile," she says, leaning down--which is a bit of a distance--to peck Dolan on the lips before she comes back up.

She nods to Balderdan as the man enters. "Walk in the light, Lieutenant," she says, greeting him in a familiar manner. But she's not addressing him in her usual somewhat overly-familiar way with swears overly peppered on. There's a bit of respect there in her tone. But she does offer Verna a nod in particular, seeming to be happy to see the Mourner recovered from the search party not so long ago.

Balderdan blinks at Telamon's words then offers a secondary nod to Andelena before chuckling. "I'm afraid you're mistaken sir. I'm not the one that called us all here. Or anyone of particular knowledge. I'm here to learn just like you are. And help if I can." He looks then at Dolan, waiting for the question he has for Telamon.

"No, Telamon, I did, because I need all of your help, but I'll get to that in a second." He returns the peck on the lips, some of his smile returned. "Just satisfying my curiosity before I jump in." He pauses to take a long pull from his ale mug, then looks up at the half-elf again. "Was in the market the other day, came across this mul lady. She was looking for another mul that might have been her sister, and for you and Lana. What'd she want with you?" The question is deceptively casual. "Doesn't seem like your crowd."

Telamon cocks his head, but frowns. "The only mul'niessa I really know are Aya and Aryia, but..." He pauses. "Well, -shit-," His expression sours. "I think I know who this is. Aya is going to be spectacularly pissed off." Tel takes a long pull off his flask, before looking at it reflectively. "I think she's a demon of some kind. Either the same one who had 'borrowed' Aya's flesh, or one who's related. She came barging into my house looking for Seldan, and then tried to strangle me when she didn't find him."

He takes a deep breath. "The last I'd heard, Aya had hunted it down and thrown it back to the Iron Hells. This may be...another one. I don't know how that works, anyways."

Verna frowns. The question posed was the likely one. Regrettably, the answer, albeit with details of which she was not aware, also confirms her prior concerns. "Unfortunately, outsiders are all but immortal. I can speak with some experience that they can be most difficult to permanently remove." A moment passes before she adds, on a more positive note, "That is not to say that they cannot be defeated."

Lysos, listening to Telamon answer what had initially sounded like an unloaded query on Dolan's part with stories of demons with such... casualness? Her eyes go wide, and she puts the glass to her lips and starts drinking. And doesn't stop until the glass is empty.

"There's /supposed/ to be a ward keeping them from coming in. Supposed to be," Andelena says, crossing her arms. "Key fuckin' phrase right there. Yet it sounds like they're here and they're harassing people who've had too much shit to deal with on their plate already." Her words are pointed particularly to Telamon as she looks at him sympathetically. Those steel grey eyes are capable of it from time to time.

She sighs and shakes her head. "We've got our hands full. Werewolves. Demons. I'm fucking ready to take back this city from 'em both."

Badlerdan looks interested in this particular set of small revelations. Perhaps a touch too interested. Or perhaps just interested enough. After all, as a city official it's sort of his job to know if there are demons sneaking their way into the city isn't it? "Persistent." He murmurs to himself, lifting his cup to his lips and taking a small drink.

"Yeah, I asked the Knight to show me evil, and it put me on the cobblestones." Dolan shakes his head, once he's listened to all of the answers. "Yeah, it does," he nods up to Andelena. "I've had enough of both of them. Who's this Seldan person she said she was looking for?"

His eyes rove the group again, resting on the ones who are silent. "We'll get to the topic in a minute," he promises.

Lysos puts her glass down. Pushes it away a little bit. She looks around at everyone again, trying to make it a subtle sweep of the room... then she slowly reaches for another one of the glasses and pulls it in front of her.

Telamon grunts. "Hence why I once suggested 'stuffing them in a small box and dropping them in the ocean'. Isolation therapy." He leans back in his chair. "I think the ward blocks teleportation and summoning -- but there's nothing to stop one from walking in on foot. We ran into a couple of the little bastards disguised as lucht. Who'd ever suspect a traveling lucht, after all?"

He reaches over to grab one of the wine bottles, pouring himself a glass. "Seldan? Elunite knight-magician. I met him once. I actually didn't know Lana and I had bought his old house, but evidently he was worried about -something-." He shrugs. "Beyond that, I couldn't tell you."

"He was instrumental in the destruction of an Archduke of the Iron Hells," Verna offers to the group, "thus has made any number of powerful enemies. He has been out of contact for some time since then." With that comes a note of displeasure and concern in her tone. To Dolan, specifically, she further notes, "If you would know more of him, or of the visitor, I can offer further or direct you to those who know more. After this discussion, perhaps is best."

GAME: Andelena rolls Sense Motive: (2)+9: 11

Andelena doesn't take a drink, surprisingly. She's choosing to remain the designated... shoulder to carry Dolan home. She looks at Balderdan as he reacts, but only briefly, looking back to Dolan with a small sigh. "So this thing is obsessed with tracking you down, Telamon, because you live in this guy's old house--what kind of evil shit is that? It's not like you were previously helping him out with stuff. You didn't even know the guy, sounds like."

She grimaces. "Are you sure you two are safe here? I mean, I hate to ask, but... All things considered... I'd like to make sure you and your gal don't go through more than you've already been through."

Balderdan notices Andelena's interest in him and quickly buries his face in his glass. He has nothing to add to the conversation yet anyways.

Telamon snorts. "There's no such thing as 'safe' only 'safer'." He rubs the bridge of his nose. "Right now there's a friend of mine from the Chalice with Lana, along with one of her cousins. And before the... recent unpleasantness, I was working on restoring the wards. I -think- I can reactivate them, though."

He looks up at Andelena, and smiles. "Can't live hidden away. Not really. And last time, she caught us off guard. Won't happen twice." He pauses. "I hope."

"Yeah," Dolan agrees with Andelena, but instead of taking a drink again, he lets the mug rest on his knee. "Ah. Damn, could use some Elunite help about now, with all this werewolf business," he agrees, carefully not looking at Balderdan. "Sounds like he pissed something off. If you need a place to stay...." He trails off when Telamon chimes in, then nods. "Speaking of these werewolves ... I called you here because I need your help. You might have noticed the hole in the moon?"

"If you wish aid in restoring the wards, Telamon," Verna turns to offer him, lowering her voice to not undermine Dolan, "I would be most willing to do so. I was far less knowledgeable when inscribing the originals, so they can likely be improved upon." She then quiets to allow Dolan to begin the core of the meeting.

Lysos puts down the second glass. It's empty. She blinks at it, then pushes it away from her. "Yes," she says, finally having something to say. "Has anything like that ever happened before?"

"Yeah. Hole in the fucking moon. Weirdest fucking thing," Andelena echoes. /Now/ she reaches for a drink, pouring herself a cup of whatever. Sometimes it really is less about the journey and more about the destination, which is to get drunk enough to tolerate what, judging by the look of... discomfort on her face.

"Fucking fairy shit," she murmurs quietly before she knocks back a glass of whatever she's acquired. Down the hatch.

Balderdan has been keeping his head down, but is clearly listening to the ongoing conversation intently. His drink is in fact, quite intact despite his constant sipping of it. His blue eyes flicker from Telamon to Dolan, then briefly Lysos. Her's is an interesting question and he finds himself half-shrugging before he can think about it.

Telamon just raises an eyebrow with amusement at Dolan. "I did notice that, yes. And I recall the discussion we had. The avatar of Eluna, and Quelynos." He takes a sip from his wineglass, before holding it up to inspect it for a moment. "There's a lot of threads involved in this, and the trick is to figure out which one to tug first to try and disentangle it." He lowers the glass to fix Dolan with his star. "What've you got?"

"Not that I know of. I hadn't thought and I'd love to know." Dolan's gaze goes to Lysos first, his head turning to look at the woman, then surveys the others. "We are pretty sure that that piece of the moon fell to Ea as a mortal. Her name is Phyrelia, and she's somewhere in Quelynos. She's probably the wolves' real target, and they don't know where she is. We need to be damn sure they don't find out."

He doesn't take another drink, instead turning his face towards Telamon. "Verna says she can get us there. We're going to have to find her, and see what she knows. The name isn't mentioned anywhere in Eluna's sacred texts, so I doubt she's come down before."

"We've also got to find the rest of these totems," he adds on. "They're what bind Caracoroth to the Abyss. We've been finding a few, and nobody's really clear on how many there are. I've got one, and I think Barclaiigh's got another. Having them attuned to evil weakens the bindings, so the more of them in the hands of good there are, the better off everyone is."

He sighs, looks at Verna, then looks at Andelena. There's clearly something else that he isn't saying.

Lysos has another glass in her hand. She frowns at it, then very deliberately puts it down on the table. "Wouldn't us finding her.." Lysos still hasn't really grasped the idea of Eluna.. or an avatar of her, anyways.. walking around. Despite having had several days to digest it. "Wouldn't it make it easier for them to find her, if they get to one of us?"

Andelena levels her steel-grey gaze onto Dolan as she looks at him. She nods for a while, pondering it.

And then she squints. Uh oh.

"Brydion Donnely, what're you keeping back from us?" she asks. It's a tone of voice that's concerned, but also something that's caught between asking nicely and demanding it. Perhaps the best word is that she /expects/ an answer. And there's a certain glint in that squint of hers that suggests it'd better be the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Balderdan has his own curiosity about Dolan's reluctance to speak, but he doesn't press like Andelena does. Instead he looks at Lysos. "You mayhap be right. Yet if we don't do something and they find her anyways... The girl needs to be defended at all costs. If the agents of Caracoroth get their hands on any piece of Eluna... it will not be pretty."

Well, that's not terrifying. Telamon leans back ever so slightly when Andelena gives Dolan that Look. He flicks a glance to Lysos, and can't help but give her a reassuring grin -- a far cry from the mess he was a day or two ago. "It depends on a lot of things. How much power this avatar wields -- and whether we can restore her to the moon. If that makes any sense." He looks wry. "She can't stay in Quelynos forever. The Seelie Court is... eccentric, but manageable with a little preparation. The Unseelie are -not-."

"Enough power to use a mirror to open a portal between realms in a couple of breaths," Dolan answers, visibly wincing at something - maybe it's the Look he's getting from Andelena, maybe it's something else. "Yeah, we ought to restore her." But _how?_ He sits silent for a moment, tapping one foot beneath the table. "To attune it, you've got to bleed on it, but doing so has got some advantages. For one thing, it lets the one it's attuned to reach the Dream Realm." His flesh and blood eye blinks, as if he is still thinking. "For another, the more you've got attuned, the more powerful your connection to the Dream Realm is, and if you're good, you can receive visions not just from Caracoroth's Nightmares, but also from Eluna."

Lysos raises the glass up and takes some time to drain it as well before putting it down and pushing it aside. She catches Telamon's reassuring look, but shrugs a bit uncomfortably. "Attuning to artifacts linked to an evil god. That sounds like a terrible idea," she admits. Of course, sometimes terrible ideas are the only ideas. She very deliberately takes her hands off of the table, folding them in her lap.

Andelena looks dumbfounded for a moment. "So... One or all of us has to... bleed on this mirror. I don't know how shit like that works."

She ruffles her own red hair for a moment, shifting her weight on her legs as she contemplates this revelation. "But if one person attunes to it, then they'd be able to open the portal for us all to walk in. Right? Maybe? Is that how that works?" She shrugs. "Either way, sounds like someone who would need to be able to handle those visions."

GAME: Telamon rolls knowledge/arcana: (3)+10: 13

Quickly, Dolan shakes his head. "No, the totems. They're Caracoroth's chains, the chains holding him in the Abyss. I don't know how she did the mirror, but Verna says she can get to Quelynos and back. The more good people who attune to one or more totems, the stronger the chains become. The more evil people, the weaker the chains are."

Telamon furrows his brow. "So... wait. I think I see this. The totems, as appalling as they are, are still artifacts forged for good -- to contain Caracoroth. More goodly people means the totem resonates with its nature, instead of it being subverted." He shakes his head. "I can't speak to the dreamlands -- when I visit them, it's through the use of a lucid-dreaming potion. And the trip is usually very strange."

He inclines his head to Dolan and Verna. "And if you want to go to Quelynos... you may need someone who has some familiarity with those lands. Or can at least fake it reasonably well."

Lysos's hands twitch and she looks at the bottle of wine. Maybe there's enough... she gives her head a shake. "I met with the faeries once," she admits. "But I don't think that's going to help very much. I still don't really understand what happened that day."

Andelena nods to Telamon's notion. "Telamon's assessment sounds right, at least with the totem," she says. "So if we find more of these totems and attune to them, shed a bit of blood, just to keep people from being hurt... Yeah. Small price to pay. I'd fucking volunteer right now if we had one."

She knocks back the rest of her drink. "Anyway. Telamon, I thought you like--knew fairy shit or something. You've never actually been to their place?" she asks.

Balderdan looks from Dolan to Andelena and then back again. There's a silent question in his eyes, but whatever it is, he doesn't say _anything_ out loud.

For answer, Dolan stands up and sets his tankard on the table with a clunk. He strides over to the pack which he has left beneath the table holding the keg, and pulls from it a short, ugly, twisted statue that resembles nothing so much as a twisted body cobbled together from parts of different creatures. He pulls that, and a simple dagger, from the pack, and carries them both back over to the table. "It also seem to be able to drain powers. Didn't realize I was doing it, but I was able to control a werewolf by draining off their rage, somehow. Felt the edge of it as I was doing it," he explains. "Might be a property of the chains themselves." As he talks, he sets the statue down on the table and unsheathes the dagger.

"Wait, what? We're doing this -now-?" Lysos says, her eyes widening first at the totem.. then when Dolan draws his knife. She pushes her chair back a little bit. "Uh.. I don't do well when I see my own blood.."

"The outskirts," Telamon replies to Andelena. "We crossed over during a sojourn to Llyranost to clean up a mess there. I have no idea how far into Quelynos we'll have to go to find this Phyrelia." He steeples his fingers. "But some rules of thumb: never agree to take anything from a fae, never offer them your actual name -- always say 'I am called' or 'Some call me'. Don't thank them, either. The fae aren't quite as bad as devils, but that's mostly because they'll forget about it if you amuse them enough."

He regards Dolan dispassionately, as the statue is set before them. He curls his lip in disgust at it, but instead comments, "Kind of jumping ahead a bit here, Dolan. I don't recall agreeing to some form of... blood pact, yet."

Andelena /finally/ connects the dots. Her eyes go wide as she looks at Dolan. "Wait a fucking second. The dreams you've been having of me running around and you hunting me--you haven't done this yourself. I'd /know/ if you'd hurt yourself. But you've been getting visions..."

She squints at the knife and the totem, then finally at Dolan. "Okay, but I'm doing this /with/ you," she says, looking at him very seriously. There's a conviction in her words, an unshakeable resolve. The Sunguard following her Redeemer into the paths that he's found, hoping that their steps are in the light of the Knight himself.

Abruptly Balderdan stands up. "You guys don't understand. Only one person can do this. You can't do it together." Again there's the question of how a simple guardsman might know so much about something like this. But he doesn't explain. "Only one person can be attuned to a magical item at a time."

GAME: Telamon rolls sense motive+3: (12)+12+3: 27
GAME: Lysos rolls sense motive: (14)+7: 21
GAME: Telamon rolls knowledge/arcana: (8)+10: 18
GAME: Lysos rolls knowledge/arcana: (14)+7: 21

Dolan stops, the naked blade in his hand, and picks up the sheath for it again. He sheathes it, and sets it down next to his tankard. He, for one, seems to have no question about Balderdan's words, instead shaking his head at Telamon. "Not asking you to. I'm not taking this on anyone but myself."

He looks next to Andie, turning himself to face her fully, and looking up at her. "Yes. It's the totem causing it. If I can take control of it, it'll probably help."

Telamon frowns, thinking. But then Balderdan gets up and calls attention to himself, which gets the half-elf's full attention, and he fixes the lieutenant with a calm stare. "Perhaps. But this isn't an ordinary magic item, either."

He looks at Balderdan with an expressionless face. "But perhaps you've additional insights to share, lieutenant." His fingers are idly twitching, and his eyes glitter in the light. Lysos has her arms folded about herself, looking away from the knife and the totem to watch the guardsman as he makes his claims. She scowls a little bit. "If you know so much then, mister you guys don't understand.. then what else do you know you aren't telling us?" Being uneasy with the idea of cutting herself, a weakness presented to these people what are on a completely different level of heroics than hers, makes her a little testy. "But I think he's right," she adds. "If they're anything like some of the fetishes my grandmother kept in her wagon." She pauses, then adds, "They sure look about the same amount of ugly."

Andelena looks a little taken back at first by Balderdan's words. "I, uh. I was talking about a symbolic... thing... there..."

Her cheeks actually color a bit as she makes a raspberry-ish noise through her lips, looking down to her feet. "Damn it, I was trying to... You know, make a... declaration of a commit--nevermind." Her gaze wanders down to her left hand.

The Sunguard seems to be... Embarrassed.

Seemingly mollified, perhaps by the sudden attention, or Andelena's words Balderdan straightens and motions towards Dolan. "I've had a chance to talk with Dolan one-on-one about this magical item. It means I know - slightly - more. Also I've been a guardsman in Alexandria for most my life. Means that I've seen my share of strange things. Things... you wouldn't believe if I told you frankly. What I can tell you isn't much. But I can tell you that attuning a magical item to yourself is a very personal act. It's personal for the magical item, and for the person its being attuned to." He settles down in his chair once again. "What Dolan does is his choice. And similarly for the rest of you."

Telamon does the unexpected, as he likes to do.

He laughs in Balderdan's face.

"Things I wouldn't believe? What... do we look like a pack of provincial -farmers-, lieutenant? I've seen oruch seduced by a dead god. I've wandered the far reaches of dreams, with a madman for a guide. I've battled the walking dead, and lived to propose to the loveliest woman I've met."

He shakes his head. "If there are things you're not comfortable discussing, that's one thing -- I can appreciate discretion. But don't piss on our shoes and insist it's raining, sir."

"Telamon, if you believe that the Guard has no access to information on stuff of this nature, as often as it happens in Alexandria, I'll disabuse you of that notion right now," Dolan puts in, crisply. "You know, I think that you and Lana have been through a lot lately, and it's getting to you. Having a demon chasing you is enough to put anyone off their feet. I'd rather you look after her. Andie and I will see to this." His sweep of the room by turning his head includes the others present. "Maybe you're right. I'll give it some thought."

With that, he turns away from Telamon and to Andelena, looking up at her. "What the hell did I ever do to deserve you? We're in this together to the damned end, whether you shed blood for me or not. Don't think I don't know that."

Lysos's eyes go wide again and her arms unfold, her hands held out. "Hey. Hey. It's okay. Nothing wrong with being careful about this, right? It doesn't mean people don't want to help."

Andelena looks between Dolan, Telamon, and Balderdan. She lets out a small sigh, her eyes taking on a sympathetic glint as she looks back at Dolan. "He wants to help, Bry," she says. "Don't just send him off like this."

She looks back at Balderdan and Dolan for a moment before she settles onto Balderdan. "Look. If you can't talk about it, there's a good reason for that. I'm content to leave it at that. You're a man of Daeus and that's good enough for me. For now."

She looks at Dolan and smiles warmly, folding her arms. "Look, don't make me try and get all mushy or I'll say it wrong again, but I fucking love you, Bry. Do what you have to do. I'll stand by you."

"Discretion is often the better part of valor." Balderdan says smoothly, nodding to Telamon. He seems to take no insult. "I appreciate your understanding Lady Andelena. Some things are best left unsaid in any case. I came only to offer my support and any knowledge I might be able to." He nods politely once again to everyone and then returns to his cup. There's more to discuss, and the conversation will likely linger long into the morning hours. Particularly once they get into how to get to where some of them will be going (Balderdan declines actually going to the Fae realm due to his duties being in Alexandria proper), and when.

-End