In the Heart of Anvard (My Kingdom For a Horse): Free RP

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When Flower had found the merchant's house, they were met at the door by Spalik's right-hand man who had befriended Flower and Retaw before. "Talking Cat Flower, is that you? Are you bringing more mail?"
 
Spalik's assistant

"By all means come in! My master was greatly helped by the information in the letter you and the Gryphon brought before. He will be pleased to see you. He is often agitated by the implications of Narnians like you being forced to flee to Archenland. Not that he does not welcome you here! What I mean is that he and I are distressed over how nothing seems to be done to oppose the White Witch."
 
"Oh things are being done in Narnia to oppose /her/ (the witch I mean), but it seems to me that the only people in Archenland who care about whats happening in Narnia are the ones who can't do anything about it." Flower has been listening to the talk of everyone on the ship. She understands the matter of why they have had to come here to ask for help quite well. Since the Archenland government had not helped them they were taking drastic measures.
 
"Well, my master may be able to do something about it," Spalik's assistant declared, beckoning them into the interior of the house.

At the entrance to the inner office, the assistant announced "Flower the sometime postal kitten, now part of a Narnian ship's company, to see you on urgent business, sir!"

"Come in!" exclaimed the merchant. "Welcome to my house once more. Do you have time to sample some elephant milk?" Seeing Gareth, he added, "And perhaps wine for--a NARNIAN sailor?"

"A little, thank you, sir," Gareth replied. "We are here on a matter of shipping: a matter of shipping human beings, but not as slaves. Rather, as victims rescued from the White Witch's murderous plans. Is that not so, Flower?"
 
"Yes. Last time I came here, when I was a postal kitten, we were trying to earn some money so some refugees could stay here at an inn. An' it seems that that's the main concern right now to most; getting humans out of Narnia."
 
Gareth picked up again: "This is precisely what our business is about: evacuating humans out of Narnia before Jadis kills them all, for that is exactly what she intends. I myself am one of those thus rescued; and under Aslan, the one I have most to thank is a Marshwiggle, Captain Woefulgut."

Spalik's eyebrows rose. "Woefulgut? I know of him! In better days, many of my merchant sailors used to see him sometimes when they visited northern Narnia. He was very efficient in his coastal patrol work. Is he here in port with you?"


(Flower could answer this, along with any other remarks she chooses to make.)
 
"Yep!" Flower chimed in again, "And its the ship that looks like it got attacked by seaweed and grass." her last remark shows her kittenish nature at its fullest, and it also shows she is at home with these people even in such a short span of time.
 
"Woefulgut wants to return to Narnia for more refugees," Gareth continued; "but we desperately need at least four additional able seamen to sail the ship. It was touch and go getting down here with unskilled people helping as they could. We need just enough men to form port and starboard watches, leaving maximum space for the passengers on the return trip."

Spalik looked thoughtful. "However, you have no means of paying the new sailors, do you? Don't worry, not all merchants are the heartless bloodsuckers you hear about in stories. I'm willing to provide the men you need, AND pay for their labor. But we need to think how best to pull this off. There may be spies for the Witch already in this port."

Gareth nodded. "Not only in this port, either. My Captain thinks that Jadis has an agent in your King's very palace. But speed is necessary in any case. Every day of delay will cost human lives in my homeland."


~ ~ Inkling, if you're looking, this would be a good time to cut back to Arlis, and see how he reacts to the discovery that Woefulgut DIDN'T wait around in Anvard to have his ship confiscated on phony grounds.
 
"And not only may human lives be lost every new day but some of my friends who are creatures in Narnia. They could've been found out by the Witch by now!" Flower jerks her head back and forth and behind her as if thinking she may catch sight of a spy or even the witch herself.
 
Spalik

"Here's what I think will work. It is common knowledge that I routinely send ships to trade with Calormen and the island territories; so a ship of my own setting forth will seem like nothing unusual to any spy." The merchant hastily wrote a note, then folded it and handed it to Gareth.

"This will give your Captain directions to sail to a rendezvous point. I am going to _pretend_ to be refusing help to you; I'll allow bypassers outdoors to witness my seemingly chasing you away. When you return to Woefulgut, he must act outraged, and loudly shout that he will go to sea even _without_ help--though he should not actually state his aim to go to Narnia specifically; no sense revealing _that_ openly, if it is not already known. At the rendezvous point, a ship of mine, which is due to sail for Terebithia anyway, will meet your ship. My ship's captain will have instructions from me to give you a couple of his crewmen, and some supplies, including tools and materials to improve the repair job on your ship. All this will happen out of sight of the mainland."


* * Mozart, I invite you to take control of Spalik and his assistant for the scene of them pretending to chase our characters away. Anyone else reading this: note that, at the time I write this entry, this thread is a day ahead of the time in other "Snow" threads.
 
OOC: Sorry I haven't gotten back here, its been crazy.

IC: The suggestion seemed to take place at once. Spalik's assitant had grabbed a broom and was chasing them off with it. Flower yelled for emphisis. They were chased outside the house and Flower heard a yell behind them "And don't come back again you beggers!"
Flower was flustered but that was the apperence they were trying to have so she kept it up; her hair was on end and a few growls had escaped her (purely from instinct) and her ears had gone back.
 
Woefulgut hammed it up so well, that the merchant's secretary would have been frightened by what came next, had he not known it to be play-acting. Drawing the sword that hung at his side, the Marshwiggle roared indignantly, "We'll still sail, even without your help! You'll see! Every Narnian we bring back will put you to shame for refusing to help, you lazy coward! And that goes double for your pot-bellied master!"


~ ~ For anyone else looking: remember that this thread is farther forward in time than the other "Snow" threads.
 
And to top it off Flower could not help saying; "Ya and you'd better be ready for when I bring my brother back an' he learns you refused to help his little sister!" outwardly she was glaring but inside she was laughing uproarisly at the peoples faces as they listened to them.
 
Still playing to the onlookers, Woefulgut loudly told Flower, "Come on, I have a small reserve: a few pearls I've kept back to sell at need. We'll sell them to one of Spalik's competitors, buy some essential supplies, and get going. A pox upon sluggish fools who think they can save themselves from the great peril by pretending it doesn't exist!"
 
@.#Siawn#.@ (mostly)

OOC: Just a reminder, phrased in the words of the wise (indicated as not being mine by the inclusion of quotation marks): "NPCs are members of a chorus rather than a soloist. They're supposed to blend and make background, not to take a front line and move the plot."

Siawn clenches his jaw, not particularly thrilled to be ordered as if he were any common sailor, but he goes along without comment.

He pulls his cap down further, so that his face is somewhat obscured by the brim, and he keeps his opinions to himself as they walk along.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Arlis, meanwhile, is furious at having been duped by the marsh wiggle captain and he frenetically scribbles out orders to have the river sealed to any traffic until the Forlorn Hope has been apprehended.

Taking the stand that would be popularized in the 30's by Neville Chamberlain against Hitler, the statesman prefers to allow Jadis to take back what she claims to be hers by right rather than have her turn her sights to the south.

His second set of orders concerns the punishments meted out to anyone assisting the captain to leave without his permission.

In addition, Arlis sets a force in motion to pursue the Forlorn Hope by land and sea and bring them back. This is conveniently led by that fearsome NPC, Royal Guard #67. They leave instantly and make good time.
 
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Woefulgut, however, had also made good time, as has already been established. Before even a word of Arlis' intentions could reach the rivermouth port, the "Forlorn Hope" was already out to sea, and being met by Merpeople who had been waiting to assist a voyage back north. Also, Spalik's own ship, whose complicity with Woefulgut the traitor Arlis could have no possible way of knowing, was pulling away from its pier.

Retaw the Gryphon, who had already been entrusted by royal officials other than Arlis to carry military dispatches, was out on a mail run when he saw a body of troops marching east. Gliding in for a landing in front of them--and with no cause to think his appearance would alarm them, since he had been openly frequenting Anvard for days--he asked the NPC commander what their errand was. "Perhaps I can be of some assistance?"
 
Flower was up on top of the mast or as she called it; her perch. She was keeping watch for the ship that was supposed to meet them.

'I wonder what they're up to back in Anvard? And in Narnia too. Oh I hope Middy is still O.K.'
 
Woefulgut asked a favor of the Merpeople: "If any ship follows us with what looks like hostile intent, please do something to foul its steering. That won't kill anyone, but it will prevent them from catching us. I'll probably never have the good fortune to see Steward Arlis hanging on a gallows, but I can hope not to have my rescue mission scuttled by him!"

To avoid ruinous mistakes, he told them about Spalik's ship, so they would not take it for an enemy.
 
Flower watched the merpeople with intrest from her perch. Even though she had lived all her life in in Narnia (save for the short time she was in Anvard) she had not seen many of its creatures and was fasinated by the merpeople.
 
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