“Just checking to see if we are alert and ready for a fight? Or... pretending to retreat, in order to lower our guard and strike later, once we relax?” Varrin wondered aloud as the strange noises seemed to retreat.
Hearing the discussion, she remained quiet as she listened, silently feeling oddly drawn in by the count. She had never really thought of him before...but now he seemed more...she didn't even know how to put it. Listening to him, she gave a nod, looking to the count. "I think he's right he deserves to be paid for all the work he does. He doesn't want to fight with you. He just wants what he feels like is fair." Her tone was...gentle. Almost motherly. She wasn't sure which one she was directing it more at, but she hoped the count would get the idea antagonizing the troll wasn't a good decision as she looked back at him, keeping her voice soft. "Those are nice...but why do you need them? I don't think those are going to fit you very well." She didn't want to try arguing with the troll he should give back up, but she tried to gently attempt to steer the the course of things, speaking to him gently.
Isabella looks around cautiously. "It could be either. Either way, I doubt it was friendly. Perhaps a monster, or a bandit of some kind?"
Troll and man alike seem to be soothed by the tone of Danielle's voice, and she can feel some of the tension in the air begin to dissipate. The count gives Danielle a nod, indicating that he'll back off a little. The troll looks as though it's about to respond petulantly, but Danielle's soft tone has taken the wind from his sails, and he stands awkwardly, unable to articulate why exactly he wants the dresses so much. Danielle has heard in her studies that sentient monsters like trolls aren't 'stupid' exactly, but operate on a different system of logic to humans, elves and dwarves, which is why they can be so obstinate. "Me like the colours." The creature explains. "The fabric soft, too." He runs a massive hand along the bundle to illustrate.
"Yes, but if we're dealing with inquisitors, they'll probably have dimeritium with them." Mirellia sighed, "So, if there any other information on the assassins?" She asked as she'll probably need to wear her enchanted armor for this battle.
Danielle nodded along. She didn't question or insult him. His actions followed a certain logic. "It's the patterns and the silk then? Well, I'm sure the count would be happy to have a few weavers make some blankets for you. Bigger and in your size too. They'd do a much better job keeping you warm while being soft too." She glanced towards the count, waiting for his response as she tried to work something out between them. "Surely the price of fashioning a bit of fabric and maybe a few pillows, outweighs the cost of bandit raids? I don't know if you noticed, but bridges aren't exactly the most comfortable location. Stone is pretty cold and he just shares your taste in fabric, really. If all he wants is something nice to look at and comfortable, that's not too much of a problem, is it?" Her tone was...odd. Treating both of them delicately despite being adults as she looked back at the troll. "The count's wife is a very sweet girl. You'd like her. I'm sure she'd be happy to trade you some fabric for her dresses. That's her favorite one and she'd really be grateful for having it back."
"My mother can do a little bit of divination, so she saw some of what's supposed to happen." Alain nods and explains. "Apparently there will be many of them, enough to wear down a skilled mage through sheer force of numbers. In mother's vision they take positions on the rooftops with crossbowmen, while spearmen flank him from all around, and assassins lie in wait for an opportunity to strike without being seen."
As he laces up his pants, Ard hears Abigail getting up behind him, while outside the window he hears someone saying "Wild Hunt."
Apparently, going for the more diplomatic route was the correct choice, as the tension dissipates entirely. The count steps forwards, looking at the troll. "Yes, indeed. You do a great service here, and I'd be more than willing to pay for it. We have skilled weavers here who could make you something fine. My wife truly was looking forward to trying those on, however." The troll looks between the count and Danielle, before handing over the dresses. "Here. Sorry." The count signals for his men to take the dresses from the troll, and walks up to Danielle, bowing. "Thank you, madame. You've done me a great service." He smiles brightly, blushing again, a little bit. "Perhaps you'd like to come back for dinner with my wife and I?" The hopeful look on his face is difficult to mistake.
“Thank you, my lord, but unfortunately, I wasn’t in the neighbourhood for just any reason. I was looking for my friend here for a reason. The inquisition has decided to hunt my husband.” She spoke so both the count and the troll could hear. She doubted the count would be happy with losing a skilled court mage. “I don’t think today would be a good opportunity to attend. If you want to help me though, letting my friend in the city to help take care of the problem would be something I’m grateful for.” Glancing towards the troll, she kept her tone calm. “You said you’d help me before. Will you help me with this? Sir...” She paused realizing she didn’t have a proper name to refer to the troll by.
Verena curses and starts to cuts The Arms of The Monsters off with swift swings and picks up speed with The Boat.
"I see. The most troublesome opponents would be the mages and crossbowmen on the roof tops. I can handle them, but that leaves the spearmen and assassins free to attack." Mirellia pondered, "I don't suppose you've managed to secure more allies in this fight, have you?"
Listening to her, the count nods. "Bringing a troll into a city won't be easy, but I believe I can do it. I can also give you a few men, if you'd like. Samuel is a good man." The troll nods. "Me name Dog." He gestures to himself, giving the same creepy smile as before. "You good humie, so I help you squish bad humies."
Verena manages to lop of the arms of the drowners on one side of the the boat, rewarded for her efforts by screams and then splashes as the repulsive creatures fall back into the water. Before she can turn, though, she feels a hand from the other side reach up and grab her hair, dragging her backwards towards the edge.
"A... troll?" Mirellia said in disbelief, "Well, if a troll does help us, I can leave the spearmen to him. While the archer and I deal with the assassins, and crossbowmen on the the rooftops. If not, I only hope the archer is skilled enough to deal with them, while I handle the spearmen and assassins." She sighed.
She kicks backwards for The Monsters Arms and quickly summons a Yrden Spell around The Boat to slow The Creatures down.
She smiles at the count. "That's more than I can ask of you. I'm indebted." She was well aware that even for the count this would take quite a bit of influence thrown around to manage, but it sounded like it could be managed, a couple of his soldiers would be a help too. "I'll make sure you get your men back in one piece. You've been very good to my family in the past and I'll be honored to return the favor soon, however I have too." Her voice might have sounded slightly more suggestive than she meant it, but she didn't really notice too much, before nodding to the troll. "And I'm grateful to you too, Dog." With things mostly worked out, it would be waiting for the count to work at getting the approval. "It sounds like it will be some time to get the gears of bureaucracy going. In the mean time, I should head to the meeting point and see if I can't work some enhancements on a few allies of mine while we wait for approval." If there was nothing stopping here, she gave clear very careful and detailed instructions to Dog of what the meeting spot would look like, before heading off hoping the count's influence could work it out. In the mean time, she'd have time to shop for materials and maybe look for something to use to refine Gynnie's bow into something more effective against the inquisition's armor.
Ashton approaches. "How can I help, mother?" He seems far more serious than this morning, when he was basically humiliating her.
