Patchwork Universe

Rose Briar · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:55 am Post subject: Scarlet, Silver and Sable

[ooc: From Juniper School: 'Fury said to a mouse...']

The rose maiden had parted from the group of travellers and was heading north, hoping to find her garden.

As she viewed the cluster of buildings that made up the school, she thought sadly of lost Lilac and wondered once more about the powers of the sorceress Mercury who had overshadowed his mind.
"I should confront her, Karkadann," she said to the unicorn she rode. "But what would I say? My powers are so weak here."

Following behind them the black horse wondered if at any point one of his owners would remember to feed him.

Miss Mercury · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 12:16 pm Post subject:

Miss Mercury stood with two of her students and watched as the girl and the two horses approached.

This was one of the performers, she remembered. But she didn't remember seeing the black horse before - and where were the girl's companions?

Rose Briar · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 2:52 pm Post subject:

Rose Briar saw the enchantress and all thought of caution left her mind and she rode forward, dropping from the unicorn's back and rushing towards the woman.

Another girl might have made demands, or threats. Jane Jones undoubtedly would have fought the lord of hell to save a man she cared for. But the rose maiden was not made of such stern stuff and besides it was not as if she knew for certain that Mercury was responsible for Lilac's transformation, only that she was a witch of great power.

Interestingly the subtle magics of the Juniper School had little effect on her speech. Courtesy was as natural to her as theft and lies were alien, her recent acquisition of the black horse and insistance that Doomshadow was a fairy nonwithstanding. She would never have dreamed of chewing gum.

"Forgive my intrusion here, my lady," she said, dropping a curtsy to Miss Mercury, and her voice throbbing with as much passion as the school's restriction against intemperate speech would permit.

"But I must ask if it was by some spell of yours that my good cousin Lilac has left me. He has turned against his friends and his mind is shadowed by a dreadful doom that had led him to forget himself."

Fixing Miss Mercury with imploring eyes she concluded:
"If it was by your art, lady, I beg you will release him from this vile duress. If 'twas some power holds him hostage I ask your help and aid."

Miss Mercury · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:09 pm Post subject:

"My dear girl, please, I don't know what you mean! Come, be calm. Come inside with me and take a drink, and I will try to solve this distress that you feel."

Placing a kindly arm around Rose Briar, she moved her gently towards the school. One of her students murmured something to her, and she stopped again.

"Would you like Cartan and Ceri here to look after your animals? They believe them to be tired and hungry. They work at the farm, and are gifted with animals; they will take good care of them while we talk."

Rose Briar · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:10 pm Post subject:

The rose maiden hesitated and then collapsed into Miss Mercury's arms.

"Oh yes," she said. "My friends Karkadann and Siah-Rang would be grateful for your care and sustenance."

She allowed Miss Mercury to lead her into the school.

Miss Mercury · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:11 pm Post subject:

The students approached the animals competently, Ceri with Karkadann, and Cartan with Siah-Rang, and the group moved contentedly off around the side of the school building.

Miss Mercury led the woe-begone rose maiden through the main entrance, along the corridor to the West, and opened a large wooden door at the end of the corridor.

A large corner room greeted Rose Briar, with old but tasteful furniture, windows on one side of the room, and large glazed doors on the other, opening onto a patio with a small rose garden.

Walking past the business-like desk, Miss Mercury led Rose Briar to a sofa by the garden doors.

"Now, my sweet girl. What has happened to upset you so? You must trust me and explain what you mean. I am not quite sure who your cousin is, unless he be one of your fellow performers that I met earlier today, perhaps. But spells? I know little, and believe less, of spells, so what could cause you to suspect me of such practice?"

Rose Briar · Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 11:48 am Post subject:

"We were not exactly performers, lady," the rose maiden confessed. "But we did not wish to disappoint. We, that is... myself, Jack and Lilac were travelling through your lands when we saw the celebration and joined the dance."

"Jack is my friend who wears blue and his touch is like ice. Lilac is my cousin and he is tall and wears black. It was Jack who said you must be a sorceress for when he wished to make some polite excuse for our departure he found himself saying more than he desired."

"And Lilac... he is subject to a malady that betimes leads him to claim that he is a monstrous beast called Doomshadow. This happened to him when he was greeting you, if you recall."

Miss Mercury · Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 6:24 pm Post subject:

"Ah, there was something strangely forced about his introduction, but I was busy at the time, and while I was aware that he was being essesentially truthful, I just put the oddity down to the difficulty some performers have of identifying reality amongst their many alter egos."

Miss Mercury brought a glass jug and a couple of glasses to the low table in front of the sofa. "Elderflower cordial?" she asked, barely waiting for an acknowledgement from Rose Briar before pouring two glasses out.

"I certainly noticed your friend Jack's association with temperature - that was why I asked Maxwell to look after him. That child has an unusual way with temperature. I partly wondered whether Jack himself was interested in the school, but thought he was probably too old to enrol. His farewell to me was certainly confused.

"I am disturbed by the effect I appear to have had on your cousin, however. Generally, my standards of good behaviour and the general atmosphere of calm and discipline here make people's behaviour better rather than worse. To confide in you somewhat, I am something of an expert on human behaviour - body language, interpersonal skills and the like - and I find it easy to see when someone is not being open or honest. This effect is often obvious to people, and as a result, their natural instinct is to speak honestly to me. Even when speaking honestly means speaking more negatively, this can often lead to the most constructive conversations, and that is why I act as counsellor to students and external applicants alike.

"I know, I can feel, that it will upset you to say this, but my initial conclusion would have to be that the monstrous character you say your cousin is prone to portray occasionally, is in fact his real character, generally kept disguised, or otherwise in control. If you think it would help, I would be most happy to speak with him further, to try to evaluate him, and see whether I could help him to resolve his conflicting parts. Do you think what would be of use? I hate to think that someone left the school more emotionally disturbed than they arrived; after all, I spend such a lot of my time trying to solve those very issues.

"But sorceress? No, absolutely not. I have no magical powers, no spellcraft. I have some unusual talents, perhaps, but nothing occult. My school was founded, and my students enrolled, because I felt that the mainstream educational system failed those with unusual gifts. Some of my students have gifts similar to my own, others have very different talents. But this is no school of wizardry, and I am no sorceress."

Rose Briar · Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 11:32 am Post subject:

The rose maiden had accepted the glass of elderflower cordial with a smile, and sipped it slowly, remembering a similar drink served at Jones' tavern.

As Miss Mercury spoke she listened intenty, nodding her head at times and seeming fascinated at that lady's explanation of her powers. But as the headmistress reached her final conclusion, Rose Briar shook her head.

"No, that cannot be true," she said certainly. "If you knew Lilac as I know him you would not think such a thing. He is good hearted, gentle, kind, always ready to lend a hand to a friend. He likes flowers and keeps a flask of milk to feed brownies." Her voice became plaintive as she insisted. "He's not that Doomshadow beast and he doesn't want to be him. I know it. In my heart, I know it."

At this pronouncement the rose maiden felt herself it was true, Surely there was a sympathetic vibration far away? Just as she knew Lilac was her good Godcousin, surely he knew that she had not abandoned him and would cross hill or high water to bring him back to his senses.

"I must search for Lilac in my own way," the rose maiden decided. "The wise man Kao Sheng spake of finding aid in the rose garden so it is there I must travel. I will find Lilac and save him."
She paused.
"But if it is not a spell and perhaps the result of some wound he has taken, a poison perhaps that has clouded his mind, I ask that I may bring him here to you, to discover the truth."

There was perhaps a very gentle challenge in this suggestion made clearer as Rose concluded.
"I'm sure that if you spoke to him for longer you would see as I do that he is a good fairy and no monster."

Miss Mercury · Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 4:37 pm Post subject:

"I would be most happy to help the poor fellow in his troubles, in any way I can. Please, bring him to me and together we can try to find a way to restore his good nature.

"Au revoir, dear Rose. I hope your efforts are successful."

Rose Briar · Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:31 pm Post subject:

When Rose Briar left Miss Mercury one of her students led her to the stables where Karkadann and Siah Rang had been fed and watered. Thanking the students politely for their care, Rose resumed her seat on the unicorn's back and rode out of the school buildings.

The black horse followed. Its opinion of its new mistress was growing all the time and its communication with the unicorn had indicated that they were heading to an even better place.

If Rose had only known it her lost Godcousin was transversing the same patch but as Karkadann galloped north, her only thought was reaching the Rose Garden.

It took her barely any time at all to reach the mist veil and Rose saw with relief that it was indeed the familiar territory surrounding Jones' pub that lay ahead. Urging the unicorn forward, she whistled to the black horse and the group crossed together.

[ooc: Rose now moves to Jones: 'An Ill-Assorted Company']