The Pattern Room
In reply to Jade (msg # 45):
Lance wakes up early. Unreasonably so, it seems. Three in the morning is no time for anything truly good to be happening. He washes up with a bucket of cold water, dresses, and belts on his weapons. Taking a moment to scrawl a note to his mother in the event that things go badly he runs through his mental checklist. Weapons, check. Leather backpack, check. Card, check. Corkscrew, check. A cushion to sit on while waiting, check. Ray-ban sunglasses, check. Something to read, check. Interestingly enough, the book he had selected from the library to bring with him was Corwin's account of the Black Road War.
Mom,
I'm heading down to the Pattern Room to see the others make their walk. Jade and Ariadne had requested that I be there, and I gave my word. I don't know where things will go from there, whether Jon will see fit to try to kill me for attending, but I think he'll find himself hard-pressed should he choose that path. In any event, my plan is to attend the cousin's walk. Should they get into trouble I'll go and try to help them as best I can. Should all go well I will likely be heading out later in the day to assist Aunt Fiona with what she is about, as I promised her that I would. If that is the case, I should like to see you before I leave. Lunch perhaps?
Should things not go well, know that I love you. Although it has been a scant ten days since you found me, you have given me a home and a family, and most importantly we have been reunited. I can never express how much that all means to me. I know I have made some foolish mistakes, but should I survive this day I will strive to do better, that I might honor you and Amber.
All my love,
Lancelot
Lance seals the letter, retrieves his key from it's hiding place, and pads softly down the halls. He slips the letter under Flora's door, then continues downstairs. On the way to the stairway down he stops and grabs a pair of napkins, a loaf of bread, a small wheel of mild cheese, a biltong bar, and a few apples from the kitchen. From the sideboard in the great room he retrieves two bottles of mead, one for himself, one as a gift to the guard sitting the lonely post at the bottom of the stairs. It all goes into the backpack. At the top of the stairs he lights a lantern.
Then it's down the long, long hypnotic stairway.
At the bottom he drops off the bottle to the thankful guardsman and continues on until he finds the great doorway. He unlocks the door and slips in. He looks around, half expecting an ambush. Seeing none, he slips inside, closes and locks the door once again and sis down to wait. The place he chooses gives him a good view of the door with the wall at his back.
With the eerie blue light from the Pattern he doesn't need the lantern to read, so he puts it out to not waste the oil. He cuts a few slices of cheese, meat, and bread, opens his bottle of mead, and settles in to read and wait.
