The journey was going to be longer and more dangerous than Garym thought. He feared taking Arianwen would prove far to hard. He would once again need to journey from her to become closer to her.

After speaking to Sarum; he returned back to Woodford to tell her what he had found out. He had Budfannon dress down Harbinger. His poor horse would have much work to do in the next few weeks.

He waited to after they had their evening meal before speaking to Arianwen about what he had learned at Sarum. "Little is known about your family's barony. I think have a general idea where it is, but the journey will be a dangerous one. It is better that I travel there first. Once discovered; I will come back for you."

"I think that I should accompany you," she says in more of a statement than a request sort of way.  "Even if the place and surroundings have changed, I should be able to find my way back home.  But given the time and possible enchantments, I do not know that I could direct someone else."

"Anyway," she counters, "if something were to happen to you, what would I do?  Everyone I have ever know except you is probably dead and I have no way to support myself.  Better to face the danger than wait around for news.  I have waited far too long already."

"Then you shall travel with me, and I will be your protector. Tonight, we will rest, and when our gear is ready we will travel together. Baedd and Gwylit are fine men that have done well for their people. Gwylit's son, Hua will follow in the his father's footsteps, and become a good man." Garym summoned Budfannon offering him the a helping of sweet bread and honey. Garym was fond of his squire, and broke protocol allowing Budfannon to be a guest versus a servant. He than had the troubadour to play for them before they broke to rest.

The journey is long but pleasant, as Sir Garym and Arianwen chat as they ride.  After all of the long months of silence, being able to communicate is a rare gift.  Arianwen is very personable and seems quite taken with Sir Garym.  It is sometimes weird talking with her because physically she is 20, mentally she is a mature 22, and actually she is 45.  So she often speaks of recent events that actually happened before Sir Garym was born and she knows things from hanging out on the Other Side, but then there are lots of things that happened recently to Sir Garym, like Arthur's reign, about which she knows nothing.

At length, they end up in Glouchester, which is still a few days from Bod Dynal.

Does Sir Garym want to travel to Hereford and continue north from there, or head more to the north from Glouchester?  If going through Hereford, does he want to stop in to see Fiona?  Does Sir Garym mention Fiona to Arianwen?  Anything he wants specifically to talk to Arianwen about?

Hereford was a better route to go because of recent events he was certain that he could receive hospitality from the countess and her knights. Arianwen had enjoyed the company of the Countess last time they were together. It would give her an opportunity to spend time with a woman. Also, it would give opportunity for him to thank Fiona for the counsel she had given. He needed to stop by the largest town market to purchase a proper gift for her help.

When she learns that they are going to visit Countess Fiona, the young Lady brightens, "she was the one who spoke to me at that dinner, or feast, but I could understand her," she explains.  "She mentioned your name and that I should trust you because you were going to try to free me."  She frowns, "but she spoke . . . oddly.  Like in snatches as if what she was saying to me was interspersed randomly in a bunch of gibberish."

Arianwen does not seem to know that Fiona is the Countess of Hereford, however.  That is a little awkward but Arianwen can't exactly blame Fiona for what King Aelrindel did.  Arriving at the castle, the pair present themselves and are informed that the Countess is very busy but will be able to meet with them in a couple of days.  When Sir Garym makes mention of Salisbury, the Castellan explains that he will see what he can do.  He disappears for almost half an hour but returns to inform them that he will be able to get them an audience first thing in the morning and that they are welcome to stay in the castle (Sir Garym in the common room and Lady Arianwen in an upstairs guest room).

It is late afternoon now.  Anything Sir Garym would like to do or say?

Sir Garym gets a check in Courtesy.

"She seemed to know much about the Faerie King. Perhaps, she spoke in their language, and thus you understood her. The dark enchantment most likely prevented her from relaying certain information."

After speaking with the Castellan; Garym thanked him for his liege's hospitality. The rest of the day he spent with Arianwen trying to give her a sense of normalcy in a life that had been all but normal. Garym tried to distract her from the stress of the day first by walking the landscape with her chatting about the one topic he knew about the care and raising of horses. He had a dream of one day developing a breeding herd of horses.

First thing in the morning for the Countess turns out to be mid-morning and even then Sir Garym gets the sense that Fiona got up early for their audience.  She greets them in a parlor overlooking a garden and indicates a pair of comfortable chairs in which they should sit.

The room is a comfortable one that appears to be used for actually sitting and reading or playing music or games.  It is very different from the audience chambers that Sir Garym has been in on those few occasions in which he has met nobility previously, rooms meant to impress and intimidate.  Even the Countess herself seems almost informal in her attire and attitude, as if speaking to acquaintances.

Sir Garym also notices Fiona's features have some clear resemblances to King Aelrindel that he might not have picked up before going to the Other Side.

"Sir Garym, how nice of you to drop by and it seems that Lady Arianwen has been restored, no?" she inquires, perhaps noting the change in Arianwen's appearance.

Sir Garym gets a check in Awareness.

Garym gives a bow the Countess of Hereford when rising he addressed formally addressed her, "Yes, your Grace. I have come to thank you for the aid that you gave me, or I would surely had fallen victim to an uneven trade. I have brought you this silver brooch in the tradition of giving silver to the faeries as a gift. When breaking the enchantment; I discovered the origin of Arianwen. She is the daughter to the Baron of the lost barony of Bod Dynal. We now travel seek if breaking her enchantments has allowed the return of the Barony. I met her family that were enchanted into man like Boars. They may of adopted the form, but I truly found them to be noble in heart."

The Countess cocks an eyebrow at Sir Garym's story before pursing her lips slightly, "thank you for the lovely gift, it is most thoughtful of you.  As to this Bod Dynal, is it around here?  I don't recall ever hearing about such a place," she replies.

After thinking about it for a moment she shakes her head before continuing, "no, doesn't sound familiar.  If you would indulge me with a recitation of your adventures, perhaps I could assist in some way.  I am always interested in people's interactions with the Fae and I might be able to provide some insight."

Garym told the Countess all he knew about Bod Dynal's history and location. He also told all of the tragic tale of Arianwen and her family. "I entered the stream walking backward as you instructed, you Grace. I found a path which upon I was tested twice. The first test was a maiden was caught in a trap off the path. I was tempted by my chivalric duty to aid her, but Arianwen gave caution which brought your words of counsel to mind. 'Do not leave the path.' As we left the maiden, she turned to a fox retreating disappointed deeper into the forest. The next test was a riddle. A man somehow split into two exact copies of himself. The only difference was that one always told the truth, and the other always lied. Each one stood on a different route on the fork. They told me I could answer one question. I knew by discovering which one was the liar that I would know the true path. I asked the on the right, 'If I were to ask your brother whether you always tell the truth, what would he say'.  He answered, 'He would say I always lie.' With that answer; I knew he was the honest one, and I took the his path which led me to the Court of King Aelrindal. I struck a bargain to retrieve the Spear of Tywic Moc for removal of the enchantments on Arianwen. I then travelled I believe to Bod Dynal where I met King Baedd and his Knights, They had been changed to their boar's form by King Baedd's action of taking the Spear. They offered me such hospitality that rivaled that of any King Arthur's court. I told King Baedd the little I knew of the tale of Arianwen. The King was known to his people as a generous Lord. Hearing my tale; he gave me the Spear. On return from the Faerie Kingdom; we discovered that Arianwen had been trapped there for at least 25 years."

The Countess steeples her fingers and rests her chin gently on the tips as she listens silently but intently to Sir Garym's story.  She makes neither comment nor changes expression throughout and Sir Garym finds her emerald orbs to be slightly disconcerting---as if they are searching his very soul.

She is silent for a long time after he finishes and occasionally shifts her gaze to Arianwen and then back to Sir Garym, eventually standing abruptly and dismissing the pair, her eyes blazing.  Her look literally makes the hairs stand up on Sir Garym's forearms.  But then it seems to pass as she regains her composure and forces a tight smile before saying "στέργει γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἄγγελον κακῶν ἐπῶν."  She stands for a moment before translating, "'no man delights in the bearer of bad news,' sorry, I just . . ." she shakes her head, taking a couple of calming breathes.  "Please, stay here as my guests and have dinner with me tonight, I will . . . I'll be better, I promise."  With that, she departs and a servant approaches to see to the guests' needs.

Sir Garym is pretty sure that he hears the sounds of breaking crockery from the direction in which Fiona departed.

Garym tries to play ignorant to the fact that the Countess was upset, but he was fairly certain that he had faied by the shocked expression on his face, He quickly ushered Arianwen from the hall, and awaited the evening meeting. He was curious about the words she had said, but he was certain he did not want to ask Fiona what the were the next time they meet.

Fiona arrives for dinner appearing as if nothing ever happened.  After the first couple of courses she says, "I am sorry, Sir Garym and Lady Arianwen.  I behaved quite rudely before through no fault of your own."  She takes a little time to continue, "we all have an image of ourselves, part of which is built on what we know of our parents and heritage.  Your story, if true, paints a rather different story of my ancestors than the one I grew up with."

She puts out a hand to allay any misinterpretation of her meaning, "I am not suggesting that either of your are lying, quite to the contrary, I am quite sure you are telling the truth at least as you understand it.  But the more tongues that tell a story the more skewed it can become."

"Anyway," she continues, getting back to the point, "my self image took a bit of a hit and no one likes that to happen but I still reacted rather poorly and hope that you will forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive, your Grace" Garym paused a moment to choose his words carefully. "I understand how self image is. I entered several tournaments in the last seasons. I believed myself to be a more capable jouster than I was. Let's say the reality hit me hard as I fell to the ground. It took me several days to come to grip with who I am, and who I thought I was. Your Grace, I have only one image of you which is valiant, strong and gracious woman that has aided my homeland and one I truly care for."

Garym wanted to say she aided one that he loved, but that would be to forward. He had not even said those words to Arianwen.

Arianwen nods at Sir Garym's words, "Your Grace, you were a light in the darkness caused by King Aelrindel's spell.  The only time I could comprehend anything anyone was saying, it gave me hope and the strength to carry on.  I do not begrudge you your position or that of your mother.  Without your help I would still be under that cursed spell and likely my . . . Sir Garym would be in a similar straight," she says, coloring slightly at the end.

The Countess sports a half smile and nods her thanks, "thank you for your kind words.  Although you may disagree, I feel that I owe you both for the information you have provided.  It is not often that I can learn so many things in so short a period."

Looking at the knight she asks, "Sir Garym, there was mention of a banner with a truffle on it, do you still have it?"

Sir Garym produces the banner, which has been rolled up since he left Twlc Mochyn and finds that it now sports a golden fish on a green field, rather than a truffle.

Lady Arianwen gasps, "that is my father's symbol," she announces, surprised.

Fiona smiles knowingly, "if you would allow me, Sir Garym, I will have my seamstress make this into a tabbard that you can wear.  My gift to you is twofold, first, I can explain a bit about the prophesies and second, I can help you to defeat the boar."

With a scowl she explains, "the prophesy is typical of its kind.  It is deceptive and self-fulfilling.  Without the prophesy, Arianwen's brother doesn't go looking for the spear and doesn't get captured by the Faerie King, the spear is not stolen, and Arianwen does not trade herself for her brother, and she doesn't escape and get found by Sir Garym, and he does not recover the spear in order to release her from the spell.  Because, you see, the prophesy does not relate to Arianwen's brother, it relates to you, Sir Garym."

Garym is surprised for a moment that the boar lives, but he realizes that he shouldn't be considering the amount of magic that he had witnessed during this quest. "I was told that the demon Boar could only be killed with the magic of the spear. Bod Dynal is surrounded by an overgrown forest which must be where this boar dwells. With such a fierce guardian; it is no surprise that no one has had contact with the Barony."

Fiona laughs a musical laugh that seems to brighten the room slightly, "no, the prophesy only stated that the noble knight had to recover the spear, not that he had to use it to slay the boar," she explains.  Shaking her head she admonishes, "never trust a prophet farther than you can kick him."

"As to the boar surviving and the barony remaining undetected, that was a result of King Aelrindel's spell.  I think both will be quite easy to find now," she says.

"Three times you have aided me, and I have done little to nothing to deserve your boons. I know not what I can offer other than my appreciation and gratitude. I will kill the boar. Is there anything else I should know to defeat this demon animal." He was pretty good with a spear. If lucky; he could keep the boar at a distance allowing the boar spear to do its job.

"Help can come in many forms," she replies obliquely.  "As to the boar, the tabbard will protect you, once.  Use it to your best advantage and remember that even after a mortal blow, the boar will continue to fight.  Since you can no longer hurt it at that point, don't try."

Dinner concludes and after enjoying some music in one of the parlors, Arianwen and Garym bid each other good night.  Arianwen heads up to her room, while Sir Garym goes to the common room, which currently houses four other knights.  not long after arriving, Fiona appears.  The other knights give the pair some room.

The Countess stares at Sir Garym for a little while before saying, "she loves you, you know.  You should probably tell her how you feel.  The tabbard will allow Love to protect you, it has no power of its own."

Garym is not certain what to say. "I did not know. I fear that she sees the hero that saved her, and not the fragile man I am."

Garym thought about his feelings. Before Arianwen; he was a confused knight seeking advise from his Earl because he thought the concept of love was silly. Now, he was in love if the strange feeling he has had sense meeting Arianwen are any indication. "You are correct I do love her. I am not certain it is fair I tell her I love her in case I die in this endeavor, or maybe I fear the chance that she does not love me. A death far worse than any the boar could deliver."

Fiona's green eyes stare mercilessly into Sir Garym's own orbs, "then be the man she fell in love with," she replies simply.  "And tell her.  She deserves that much, does she not after what she has been through?  Better to know than for her to always wonder.  If you want to win back her Barony you are going to need the strength of her love and yours, and maybe more than that."

She hands Sir Garym an old map and shows him where Bod Dynal was located in the time of her father, tracing a path from her own County seat.  "I did a bit of research and found where the barony used to be.  It should take you a couple of days to get there.  I bid you a safe journey and successful endeavor," she turns to go but pauses and says, "I've arranged for someone to meet you," with a smile and a wink, she heads back upstairs.

In the morning, Fiona will still be very much asleep but a tabbard emblazoned with Arianwen's father's crest sits on his horse's saddle.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:56, Wed 20 Dec 2017.

Garym saw the tabard, and he knew what he had to do before Arianwen came down. He donned it as well as putting a canvas cover over his shield. He waited patiently for Arianwen more confident then he was the knight before. As Arianwhen  walked up; he knelt holding his shield , and pulling out his sword holding it before him like a cross. "Lady Arianwen, on this day I swear this oath. I don the black shield claiming not family or homeland until we have freed yours. I have one purpose which is to kill the defeat the cursed boar while protecting you to the end of time and beyond. Together, we will meet your family, the noble King Baedd, the loyal Sir Gwylit and the fearless Sir Hua. I ride for you, and you alone."

Garym rises putting his sword away, and allowing his shield to lay on the ground. "When I found you I thought that I had found a lost angel, but the truth was that I was lost. I had little purpose other than my own grandiose dreams of glory and fame. These dreams felt hollow and empty after that day. Even now; I wonder to myself how the Father on high chose me to receive such a wondrous gift that is you. I am not certain that I am even worthy of such a heavenly boon, but I do know that with you in my life I will try to be better everyday. With you in my life I am the man I dreamed I could be"

Garym pauses for a moment stumbling over his own tongue it seems. He had never told a woman these words before, and he knew he would never tell another woman them again. "Arianwen, I am in love with you."

Lady Arianwen stands silently as Sir Garym speaks and she has a very noble look about her.  However, it is clear that Sir Garym's words touch her quite deeply.  Her eyes are moist and her voice quavers slightly as she approaches him and presses her hand to his chest, "I love you too, Sir Garym.  And naught even Death shall tear us asunder.  We will defeat the boar and anything else that stands in our way," she replies confidently.

"This, I swear," she concludes.