18:36, Today: Zag, on behalf of Scarlet d'Ardelle, rolled 9 using 1d20+8
Well, that didn't work.

Anne waves off Scarlet's argument, "Oh, of course you'll see all the noble lads there, and they'll all be laughing at you.  That girl -- what is her name?  Mulan? -- who takes these sword-fighting lessons, do you know what they call her?  They say she is not really a girl, that she doesn't like boys.  I mean, men are all brutish, smelly things, but you have to pretend to enjoy them if you want to get anywhere."

After two days of visiting the kennel in the evening, and bringing treats to Zenobia, Scarlet finds the cat has warmed up to her and seems to welcome her arrival rather than hissing and spitting.  However, she still feels that she could make more progress with a different sort of treat.  She learned about cat mint, or cat nip, from Erikus and his recitation of "The Book," but she doesn't know where she could get some.  She decides that Idalaiz could be a source for several of her issues.  How to make contact with her is the question.

Scarlet barely contains an urge to pout. How come Mother gets pissy in the worst possible moments? If she had more time to spin this in a way that she could appreciate... but no, she has jumped the gun, now Anne will be pigheaded against it, and that hardass Usuul is not going to let her train without that damned signed paper.

Why does everyone have to be such a pain in the ass?

She storms out of the room before she explodes, because the last straw is when Anne goes on her diatribe about men. She storms out because she was that close to telling her how Xavin is NOT AT ALL LIKE THAT! And it's not his fault, or Scarlet's, or anyone's that Mother, well, she did what she did in the way that she did and had her, Scarlet, in the way that she had her. That puts extremely unwanted images in her head, so she goes for a long brisk walk to make it all go away.

Zenobia, at least, is less of a bitch that before. The meagrest of consolations, along with Erikus' droning of book passages. Scarlet doesn't have the headspace to feel sorry for the boy and his disgrace, not yet, she's too busy being sorry for herself, and real estate in her attention span is very limited.

And for the moment being, she´s stalking around the castle, looking for Trimpicar or Pax, to give them a message for the lady spymistress.

Scarlet walks around in a bit of a pout.  The girls' tutoring sessions are today, so that wastes a lot of her time.  Drizella is the only one of Alyssa's minions young enough to be in the same class, and the two girls spend much of the class eyeing each other warily.  The other girl goes through a confusing array of expressions, from angry to superior to apologetic, or maybe just overall confused.

When the class ends, Scarlet finds herself haunting some parts of the castle that she did not normally venture into, looking for one of her known contacts for Idalaiz.  When wandering into the rooms where the castle maintenance is managed, she wonders briefly if she will run into Maryann's husband, the Baron Zamien.  Isn't he an engineer of some sort?

Suddenly she hears a voice, someone shouting, that is vaguely familiar, though she doesn't place it at first.  Creeping forward, she sees Sir Fischbacher standing in a doorway and gesticulating wildly, "Because one of the keys was lost!  That's why.  That should be enough."  She does not hear the reply, but Fischbacher continues, "These are the Savannah Cats we are talking about!  They are NOT just pets; they are a valuable asset of the Duke and the Duchess!  Their security is paramount!"  After a moment, she hears, "OK, then.  Thank you.  You'll have it changed by when?"  Again, the response is too soft, but Fischbacher snorts in a way that sounds as if he is satisfied, if only barely.

Splendid, just what she needs, bloody Fischbacher changing the locks now that she had managed to secure a key! But immediately a solution forms in her mind: Erikus. If the boy cannot be persuaded to lend her his key, then she would just swipe it from him. Put that sleight of hand learned from Lady Idalaiz to good use.

Very pleased with herself for having come with that solution for the event, she figures she should take care of her other affairs, since the savannah cat thing seems to be going well.

She takes a moment to think about the mean girls: Alyssa is not only older and meaner but well connected, and trying to woo Xavin. Too big and high for Scarlet to reach; she has to hit at her minions first. Drizella, she is the one who tried to hit her and now she's being weird in class. Anatasia... what is her deal?

She racks her brains for any information she can remember about those one, anything she can use...

Scarlet recalls that Erikus had to be let back into the kennel when she first met him, so he probably doesn't even have a key.  He is only a youth, within a year of Scarlet's own age, so it isn't surprising he is trusted with such things.  Scarlet suddenly wonders why she is being trusted with this bizarre covert mission.  Well, it's a lot more interesting than following Mother's path.

She considers her plight.  Today is Aphrodite's Day (Friday) so tomorrow is another meeting of the Petteia gaming group, which means that Fischbacher, at least, will be tied up all afternoon.  He didn't sound happy with the maintenance man's plans, so the lock probably isn't being changed today, and hardly anyone works on Kronos' Day.  She'll have tonight, possibly tomorrow afternoon, and probably tomorrow night as opportunities to slip into the kennel and maybe find another way in.

She's had no luck finding either of the servants of Adalaiz.  She could always just send a message with a page, but that might attract attention if the page is chatty.  Why would a young girl be sending notes to the Duke's aunt?  Perhaps she could send a formal thank you for her kind ministrations the night of the performance.  If anyone cares about these things, they saw her visit the woman that night, so it wouldn't seem odd, even if, as a thank you gesture, it's a little late.  And there's always the laboratory.  The last time she was there, things had been rearranged since the first time, so someone is visiting it.  And if she has some catnip, that's where it would be.

Finally, her ponderances turned to Drizella.  She's known the girl for quite a while, though they were never friends.  The girl is a little dull, and with a tendency to be a toady, which never appealed to Scarlet.  However, she was never before outright hostile.  It seemed she really struck a nerve with the 'No Tits Dreez' comment.  The girl is pretty underdeveloped, about the same as Scarlet herself, who is almost two years younger.  Maybe I guessed right, and Alyssa has been making such comments.  It's just like her.

Oh, bother, that's right, Erikus wouldn't be trusted with a key. Althought she was quite sure he would never lose it, being so terribly strict and single-minded about discipline and order and that kind of stuff. Well, still a couple of days to go, and later she'd figure another way in.

Regarding her feline mission, there was little else that can be expedited, since Zenobia will give birth to the kittens when she would, and all Scarlet can do until then is keep earning her trust. She guesses Idalaiz might have some of that fabled catnip at her laboratory, and since she has to go there to leave her a message anyway, she heads there, while still considering her other endeavors.

The fencing lessons were a no-no now, with both Mother and Usuul being too stuck up to budge. So she could kiss them goodbye, meaning she had to find another place and time to bump into Xavin, hopefully before Alyssa could sink her claws too deep into him.

That brings her mind back to the bitch and her minions. Nothing came to mind about Anastasia, and very little about Driz except her limited intelligence and flat chest. Not that the latter was something Scarlet cared much about, beyond it being something to throw in a girl's face. For some reason the older girls seemed to care a great deal about it, which was another oddity: Scarlet would have been actually pleased if she hadn't developed those sore, tender nubs, uncomfortable on a good day, achy the rest of the time. The fact Mother makes such a big deal of it makes it even worse. What if Scarlet never gets any bigger, ye gods? Perfectly fine by her, she thinks silently, but for Mother's sake she has to pretend to care. Just another item on a very long list.

Reaching the lab, Scarlet finds a scrap of paper, a quill and an inkwell, and quickly scribbles: "Contact established with the meow queen. Everything progressing according to plan. -S." Leaving the note there, she starts looking for the fabled catnip. It would look better if she can find her on her own, instead of asking the Spymistress for it.

Well, I hadn't actually decided if there was some here, though I don't know where else you would find it.  You could hunt down an apothecary, I guess.
Anyway, I'll make it a luck roll.
09:31, Today: Zag, on behalf of Scarlet d'Ardelle, rolled 18 using 1d20.  luck roll for catnip

Scarlet starts looking through the many bottles, envelopes, and bundles of dried herbs on the shelves.  She knows that catnip is an herb, but what form would it take?  Fortunately, everything is well labeled, all in Adalaiz's neat, tiny script.  Many of the labels include a circle of red ink below the name of the contents, and a few have two.  That indicates poisonousness?  Rarity?  She isn't sure.

Finally she finds an envelope made of parchment with the label "Catnip / Catswort / Catmint," and, fortunately, no red spot.  She gently pulls it open; it contains dried leaves, each about the size of her smallest fingernail.  She puts about a quarter of the leaves into another scrap of paper, folded carefully, and puts the original back in place.

Later that day, Scarlet waits to see the girl leave the kennel, and she walks to the door, trying to appear more confidant than she feels.  She sighs with relief when her key turns in the lock with a click.

Zenobia mrowls eagerly as Scarlet gives the hungry momma the last of the meat she has saved.  The cat is looking fatter every day; there is no doubt she is heavily pregnant.  When Scarlet puts a little of the catnip on her hand and holds it out to Zenobia, the big cat sniffs, then licks, then rubs herself aggressively against the girl's hand.  She spends a good 30 minutes petting and scratching Zenobia, who seems remarkably friendly and playful.

And that's when the idea comes to her, almost fully formed.

Catnip. Kittens. Stolen keys. Alyssa.

Find a key to Alyssa's chambers. Wait until Zenobia gives birth. Make mother and kitten pliant with catnip. Lift one or two of the kittens and plant them in Alyssa's bedroom, then sit back and enjoy the spectacle of the bitch being caught with stolen Savannah cats.

Scarlet smiles, licks her lips.

Two birds with one stone: fulfill Lady Idalaiz's mission and socially terminate Alyssa. No cat harmed, none of the Spymistress' instructions contradicted. Perfect.

And at the rate things are going with the fat queen, all that remains to be done is gain access to the bully's bedroom. There has to be a copy of the key somewhere, or even a skeleton key for the whole place. Scarlet thinks about it.

The tradesman Sir Fischbacher was speaking to, he might have them. That's probably the easiest, softest target. Failing that, Alyssa's parents would surely have a copy of her key. Scarlet is learning from her mistakes: she won't steal it this time, just borrow it long enough to get a copy made, and then drop it somewhere it can be found again without arising suspicions of theft.

I love this plan, not only for the sinister glee, but for the narrative value in bringing your two plotlines together.  Also, it had never occurred to me, which makes it more fun (for me).

However, just for narrative value, the same trick to get into Alyssa's room is not going to work to get into the kennel once you are locked out.  I had left you in there to give you an opportunity to make some effort to find some new way in.  I've thought of two possibilities of how you might gain continued access to the room, both within your skill set, and maybe you'll think of others.  (Hint:  check out post #67.)

Swiping the key to Alyssa's chambers from the tradesman isn't as urgent as finding a new way into the kennels, so she concentrates on the latter. With an effort of memory, Scarlet recalls that door on the north wall, the one locked and barred. Or is it? If it's kept barred, it might be the servant's don't bother locking it. By the same token, perhaps they would not bother changing that lock.

Tonight, Scarlet pays her usual visit to Zenobia and checks where does that mysterious north door lead to.

After another successful visit to Zenobia, Scarlet heads upstairs to take a look at the barred door.  Clearly, there's a lock on the door, which can be unlocked from inside.  She turns the lock and the action is smooth, as if it is regularly used.  She unhooks the bar and opens the door, seeing that it does, in fact, open to the outside as she suspected.

Being cautious, she props the door open and steps out into the starlight.  The space is a small grassy area, surrounded by the castle walls on one side and rocks on three more.  A very small path between some boulders reveals a sharp drop to the river below, but it seems unlikely that anyone could spot the opening from below.  The distinct odor of cat urine and feces wafts up from the opening.

Scarlet can imagine bringing some of the cats out here, but is not sure what anyone could do if one of the cats decides to run for it.  The cliff looks difficult to navigate for a human, but probably would not be that much of a challenge for a feline.

Returning to the kennel, she looks carefully at the lock.  It would be easy enough to leave it unlocked, but it is pretty obvious to see if anyone is looking for it.  Then she looks at the bars.  There are two bars across the door, that drop into metal hooks that are screwed into the doorframe.  Two of them, she notices, are loose already.  Perhaps I'm not the only person who wants a sneaky way into the castle.  Should the Duke know about this?

And how exactly do I tell my august grandfather that I have found hints, and very tenuous at that, that someone might be sneaking into Castle Moresby unbidden? Oh, I was only prowling around a restricted zone, Your Grace, for no clear motive, and then I noticed...

Scarlet takes a good look around, to make sure she can find this spot from the outside. After that, she leaves the kennels and leaves a note to Idalaiz in the secret lab, alerting her about the situation with the backdoor to the kennels. Surely the Spymistress will know what to do, and hopefully she would be happy about her disciple's vigilance... She hopes.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:37, Thu 02 June 2022.

Scarlet heads to the laboratory to leave the note, but instead finds an envelope with her name on it.  The note inside reads



Scarlet leaves her own note and returns to her room.  Anne continues to be curious what Scarlet has been doing on these late night jaunts.  "Who is he?  Is he very high up?  I hope you are holding out for better than a grind in the night."  Scarlet has figured out that being coy about these questions is more effective than simply refusing to answer, and she is learning more and more how to outwit her mother.

In the dark hours of the morning, Scarlet is awakened by a gentle touch on her shoulder, and she sees a huge hand just in front of her face, ready to clamp down if she cries out.  She looks up into the kind eyes of Trimpicar, the mute, who gestures to her to be silent.  He indicates that she should dress and join him outside; then he walks out of the room, closing the door silently.  He leads the girl to the secret laboratory, using the same path Scarlet already knows.  In spite of the hour, he peers carefully out the arrow slit before reaching out to unlock the door.

As he enters the lab, Scarlet hears Idalaiz speak gently. "Thank you, Trimpicar.  I'm sure I will be quite able to make my own way back to my quarters, you may retire for the night."  She turns to Scarlet, "So sorry to wake you, my dear."  She glances back at Trimpicar, then continues with Scarlet, "He watches after me like a nanny -- I'm not in my dotage yet!"

The old woman takes a sip of tea, and gestures to the teapot and cups that Scarlet should help herself.  "Tell me more about this security gap into the castle through the kennel."

Do you tell her everything or do you hold some back, or what?

As far as she can tell from conversations with other girls her age, the mothers of all her friends are concerned with them "making an irrevocable mistake", "giving away their one and most precious virtue", and similar stuff that boild down to: sex. Which sounds a bit bizarre and yucky to Scarlet, like why would you? Like, ever. Boys want that, well, they do, don't they? That's how they are, for some reason. But why would you, like, let them? Or even want to, want it. The difference with Scarlet is, Mother doesn't seem overly worried about her losing her virginity as much as whether she's maneuvering to land a useful husband or not. Well, she doesn't really specify "husband", and Scarlet can guess why. She's inexperienced and uninterested, but not stupid. It has worked out for Mother, hasn't it? After a fashion. She doesn't know where she would be, where both of them would be, had she not... done what she's done. She doesn't want to dwell on it too much. Or, at all. And if she's pushing her that way, well, where is she supposed to go with that? She's already part of the (extended, unofficial but acknowledged) Ducal family. Where do you go up from there?

She shuts down that train of thought, and thankfully dreams of nothing related, and when the creepy man wakes her up with a jolt, she wraps herself in a dressing gown over her night gown and follows barefooted, the best to be silent and not make the lady Idalaiz wait while she inserts herself into corsets and dresses.

In that unusual attire, she still remembers to curtsy for the Spymistress before she takes a sip of tea.

"Yes, your ladyship. It is a backdoor at the kennels, it leads to the outside, an outcropping over the river. I think the kennels staff, a young girl and a boy named Erikus, they use it as a convenient place to dispose of the cat's faeces. The door is supposed to be locked and barred, but the hooks holding the bars in place are a little loose. If they just, let's say, accidentall fell, well, then it would just be a matter of unlocking the door from the outside. Useful for me, probably, but I also thought your ladyship should know about this... potential security risk. My grandfather's security is paramamount and..."

She shuts her mouth in time. That's Idalaiz's job. Don't lecture her, girl.

"You did well to bring this to me.  Any unexpected way in to the castle is a conduit for spies.  That, especially, is not just some egress that the guards use for trysts with local girls.  From there, as I recall, you either have to scale the cliff face or climb up over the castle itself.  Neither feat is actually as hard as they look, but clearly not something a randy lad does just to go meet a girl.

"Tell me about the aberrant boy, Erikus.  I understand you've become friendly with him."

Scarlet blinks, surprised that the Spymistress would take an interest in Erikus.

"Yes, well, he's... Different. Completely lacking in any social graces, but with a prodigious memory. He's literate, at least enough to read and completely memorize a book on savannah-cat breeding. Very shy, and most of the time he seems to live in a world of his own, inside his head. His mother is very worried for him, she thinks he might run into trouble, given his... inability to grasp social nuances. He's very intelligent but not very smart, if you catch my meaning, your ladyship."

"So, he is not how you've been getting in to the kennels, then?  That was my first assumption, when I heard you'd been spending a lot of time with him.  Then I learned that Fischbacher is having the lock changed, which made me think that you'd stolen a key.  So, you're learning about savannah cats from him, very good, very good.  How did you ...?  Never mind, I'm sure it was some luck, that you were clever enough to seize the opportunity.  Lots of people throw away their luck if it isn't in the box they were looking for.  I knew you were different."

She finishes her tea and stands up.  "So, let's go have a look at your gimmicked door."  Carrying a lantern, she leads Scarlet out of the laboratory and down a narrow passage, one that led nowhere in the girl's earlier wanderings.  She stops a few steps from the end and turns around, then waves Scarlet back a step.  After she reaches up over a rafter and gives a sharp tug, a trap door between them falls open.  Scarlet feels a little chagrinned that she spotted neither the door nor the mechanism above.  After a long ladder down and another narrow, dusty passageway, Idalaiz pulls open a small door through which she crawls.

From the scent, Scarlet can tell they are entering the kitchen, but to proceed they have to empty the small cupboard of its jars of preserved fruits and vegetables.  Idalaiz moves the jars with impressive speed, making not a sound.  The two crawl out and she reverses the process while Scarlet listens to the soft, cheerful singing coming from the baker just around the corner.  They make their getaway with him none the wiser.

In the kennel, first they stop at Zenobia's cage.  Scarlet is a little worried because she did not bring any catnip nor a treat, but the big cat seems happy to accept friendly scratches.  They continue up the stairs and Idalaiz inspects the door.  She shows how the lock has been sabotaged so that it can be opened from the outside with just a dagger blade, and how the loops that hold the bars in place will come open if one pulls up on the door while pushing it.

Finally, she concludes, "I won't get this fixed, not right away, so you can use it for a while.  But I'm going to place a permanent watch on it outside.  They'll know to ignore you, and if you spot them, you should ignore them.  Don't try to climb the cliff face.  If you look near the kitchen service entrance, there's a pretty easy way to the roof.  Use a rope to climb down to here."

They leave the kennel and just walk through the halls to their respective rooms, after stopping in the kitchen to grab fresh, warm pastries.

16:46, Today: Zag, on behalf of Scarlet d'Ardelle, rolled 11 using 1d20+4.  Perception Secret door.

Scarlet smiles, flattered.

"Both methods, my lady. Having only one way inside seemed... unwise," she humblebragged. "I do hope I am not disappointing, your ladyship."

The excursion is a thrilling one for Scarlet, not so much for the destination itself but for the fact the Spymistress herself is taking the time and trouble to teach her in person. Scarlet is secretly impreseed at her agility and coordination, considering her age.

"So I could descend to the kitchen from up here," she says, inspecting the cliffside exit. "Or possibly climb up from the kitchen, if I tied a rope here. Useful as a two-way direct route, to bring food to Zenobia without being spotted around the corridors on the way in our out of the kennels. Thank you, my lady."

She hesitates to ask, until the last moment on their way back.

"My lady, do I... could you... Excuse me, lady Idalaiz, for asking, but... Will you teach me how to use poisons?" she says, face flushing. She has Alyssa in mind, naturally, and she wonders if the Spymistress would guess.

Idalaiz pulls her head backwards, as if to be able to get a better look at the girl.  Arching one eyebrow, she draws the word out, "poisons?  Do you have someone in particular in mind?"  After a small chuckle, she continues seriously, "You can't kill the girl, it would cause an investigation that we don't want.  I'll tell you what; here's your first lesson:  For most ingested, uhh, swallowed, poisons, the correct treatment is to give an emetic, a drug that makes a person vomit.  There are a few emetics that are colorless and tasteless.  If one were slipped into a person's drink, in just a few seconds they would vomit uncontrollably.  It otherwise wouldn't do any harm, and it could be brushed off as an upset stomach.  I'll leave some out for you in the lab the next time I visit there."

Scarlet turns scarlet.

Partially because, well, she has been understood only too well in her intention to poison someone... but mostly because Idalaiz has so easily sussed out who in particular she wants to get rid of.

"Thank you, my lady. Yes, it would be very... useful to have an emetic at the ready, in case someone might need it. For their own good, in case they need to purge themselves of some spoiled food or somesuch," she observes piously.

Mentally she adds emetics to her little but growing arsenal of things to use against Alyssa.

"My lady, when Zenobia does finally give birth... what sort of proof would you like that I have accomplished my mission to your liking?"

Idalaiz smiles knowingly, "you don't have to plan anything.  You see, Sir Fischbacher and I have a little competition going, a "friendly" competition, we'll say.  I'll be making a wager with him that his cats are far too tame.  I'll say that I could choose a random person walking by, and his precious mama cat will be tame enough that the random person will be able to pick up and pat her kittens without being attacked.  We'll make sure that you are the random person.  I do not like to lose when I make a wager.  Superior knowledge, superior planning:  they are keys to any victory, whether in court or on the battlefield.  Also, cheating.  Always make sure you cheat better than the other person."

Scarlet's jaw drops open. She's young, and to her the gambit sounds incredibly clever. She has been assuming something more obvious and immediate, that Idalaiz wanted a kitten for herself, or at least a way to smuggle out some, on a later date or for someone else. The concept that it might be a subtler affair of prestige and loss of face blows her early-teen mind.

"Oh... oh. I see. My lady. That is... very well. Yes, I will play my part, rest assured, lady Idalaiz. Understoo. Always cheat."

She almost blurts out her plan to plant a kitten in Alyssa's chambers, but doesn't. The lady doesn't need to know, in case she forbids it as an interference with her own designs. And if she doesn't mention it, she can't say no.

Instead she says:

"The Counts of Travis... and Gemlia, my lady. Are either of them allies of yours? Would you be looking favorably upon a union of their houses, or not?"

Idalaiz again raises one eyebrow, even higher than before, if possible.  "It speaks well of you that you ask, and are willing to put your own revenge aside for the good of the duchy."

She ponders a bit.  "I'm not sure it would matter much, either way; they're both coastal counties, so their biggest service to the Duke is keeping pirates in check and shipping lanes open.  Separate, they provide a check on each other.  If they were unified and the leader incompetent, piracy might become a problem, but they aren't the only coastal counties.

"It would probably be a successful match for both of them, though poor Xavin would likely be miserable.  He's such a dim little lamb, without a conniving bone in his body, and the little bitch Alyssa would eat him up.  In the end, though, he needs a mate with a scheming mind, since he has none.  Alyssa's big fear is that she's going to be married off to Lord Fentilous.  Her father would like that, since it locks in his source of both iron and timber, and he figures that his daughter is a lot stronger than the old toad's first wife, poor thing."

They come to the intersection where Scarlet would go right and Idalaiz left.  "Anyway, dear, we should not be seen together too much; it wouldn't be safe for you.  You do what you like about Alyssa, short of killing the little bitch or involving me in any way, but I do appreciate you asking."

Scarlet smiled a courtly little smile, very pleased with herself thanks to the Spymistress' kind words. Too young and naive to suspect them of being the obvious ego manipulation they surely were. The mention of piracy stirred something in her memory.

"I would not dream of going against your designs, my lady. One last thing, prithee - where do the Stedes of Leucas stand in all this? I know some of their people are here in Moresby Castle, perhaps as ambassadors?"

I might have conflated a couple of NPC's here.  I had misremembered the Xavin and his father as the ones that Anne said they were barely better than pirates, but now that you ask about the Stedes, I recall how that came up.  In any case, the latter wasn't intended to be significant; they were just to let you figure out that you had emerged in the guest wing of the castle.  We'll make what I described in my previous post as canon, and the other one was just Anne confusing the standards.  It's more interesting that she thinks of Xavin as a pirate's son, anyway.

Idalaiz walks away without another word, leaving Scarlet to wonder whether or not the old woman had even heard her.  Scarlet returns to her apartment to a bit more sleep before the day starts.  The girls' tutor is in town, so today will include another long morning of lessons, with, no doubt, Drizella continuing her confusing array of expressions.

Later that afternoon, she meets up with Erikus to continue her education on cats.  When she arrives, he says, haltingly, "Hello. Miss. Scarlet.  It. is. so. good. to see. you. again.  Has. your. day. gone. well?"  When she answers him graciously and asks about cats, he breaths a huge sigh of relief.  He has nearly completed the recital of The Book; the final chapter is on detailed descriptions of diseases and their treatment.

You can also include that you went to sword lessons if you like, now that you have permission.  However, because of the morning classes, you won't be there in time to see Xavin leaving, or maybe he didn't attend today.