[WFRP2e] The Power of One - Part 2 - "Transire Benefaciendo"

[BananaPhone]

Taalia Giovanni

Taalia had a blast spinning her tale to Cestie, the older mans sometimes shocked or horrified reactions bringing out a little trollish sense of humor in the shepardess that rarely found the oxygen to emerge. She drew the fight out, exagerated her wounds and the enemies skill - all the more heroic that she and the other Gallants emerged victorious.

That Bella revealed her development loyalties lay with the lancers, Taalia would smirked and snort lightly through her nostrils in amusement.

"My beautiful Bella...no one is perfect," she'd grin in a gentle, affectionate tease.

When the most adorable little stow-aways ever were revealed, Taalia gasped in beloved warmth, her eyes widening and her mouth opening, as she brought her hands over to cover herself as she "Awwww!"ed in appreciation for their new feathery companions. The symbolism of the this particular species being here during both her arrival and departure from Bella Collina was not lost on the girl, and as much as she wanted to, she restrained herself from reaching out and stroking the little bird upon its soft chest for fear that she would contaminate the nest with her own particular odor that would confuse and drive off the parents from their precious cargo. After all, it was likely their particular scent that had served as a way-guide for the hard-pressed father bird whom had embarked on his own far-reaching, herculean journey to catch up with his family that had been unknowingly ferried off.

The shepardess also resisted the urge to provide the little nest with a small tear of cloth as an extra layer of warmth. Her time on the farm had taught her that the birds instinctively knew about the thermo-requirements of their little eggs, and that her gesture, however well-meaning, may tip that delicate balance in the wrong direction. So, instead she drew a small bit of cloth around the scaffolding of the machine where the birds had nested, applying it in such a way as to further block out any wind pressure that could have disturbed the little feathery family in their cross-continental flight.

oOo

Taalia's idea seemed almost clairvoyant, as it was only a matter of time until the troupe in their flying machine encountered their first patch of bad weather. The shepardess had been on board during some rough winds before, and they were certainly a frightening affair when they were first encountered, with the way the scaffolding of the machine would creak under the torturous pressures applied to it, or the rough turbulence would rattle the very much living contents about in stomach-churning jolts that made one question how safe it was to take to the skies in such a contraption.

Likewise, she had flown through rain once or twice before. Indeed, Cestie had insisted on it, and the girl had agreed. After all, if they had not tested the machine under such arduous conditions, how could they be sure they wouldn't be blasted out of the sky if they made such an effort and encountered this meteorological menace?

But combining both? That was a frightening affair, and what made it more enveloping was the rapidity with which the cloak of the storm was upon them. One minute they were sailing half a kilometer above the verdant green and yellowed fields of the Trantino landscape, and the next the ominous clouds, fat with rain and cold, slicing wind, came at them like a roiling specter in the sky.

"We've no choice! We have to put her down, Taalia - she can take the wind, but if we keep getting shoved east, we might end up pushed all the way to the river Bellagio, or the Tetroverde wood - either would be a disaster! Take the yoke, while I look for a place!"

Taalia had fantastic hearing, and even she struggled to piece together everything Cestie was yelling as the winds wrapped about them. Nevertheless, she registered enough and brought her left hand forward in a thumbs-up gesture of agreement, as she tried her best to look deep over her shoulder as she could to their inexperienced, first-time-traveler companion, Bella.

What must Bella be feeling right now? Myrmidia only knew. Being this high up with this storm bellowing down upon them, the contraption suddenly feeling more like a flying coffin than an instrument of free passage. The animalistic fear of insecurity was natural to all, Taalia remembered how it ate away at her insides and set her nerves alight the first time she encountered these things during tested, so it was her best guess that Bella would be putting on a brave face while internally regretting even taking to the air in this damnable machine. She could be enjoying a glass of wine and delicious gnocci in her warm little hovel back in Bella Collina now, another handsome gentleman caller soon to arrive to try his luck and win her heart, but noooo she just had to be adventurous...

"We're setting down!" Taalia yelled to her bestie, hoping that this would set her at ease, if even temporarily, as the shepardess' hands wrapped around the yoke and felt the churning power of the storms perimeter as she slowly inched it down and about to slice their way in a descent through the vast banks of cold rain and mist.

However, where the skies held violent turbulence and striking pyres of lightning, what awaited them down below was much more unsettling.

oOo

As Cestie busied himself tending to the machine, ensuring every gear, bolt and precious bit of necessity was still in place and functional, Taalia stared through the slightly ajar door and to that eerie villa not more than a few dozen meters away. Though once a beautiful and welcome dwelling, the domicile had since deteriorated in the absence of its prior occupants and now stood as a lamentation-filled mausoleum leering over its bleak, former lordship. There was something about its haunting misery, its lonely vigil in these disputed territories, that got to Taalia and slithered under her skin, for its hallowed walls could very well hide the residual aspects of whatever forces had once driven the prior occupants from its splendour.

"Such a nice home, to abandon - some young noble's place, perhaps. Why leave it? What I would give for such a place!"

Taalia didn't respond, but she had a few ideas that could answer the question.

"Eh... Well, Trantio's often at war with someone - but this isn't exactly a strategic point for the Pavonans to stick a flag in. Lots of the rural merchant class moved west toward the city, these last few decades. Wild orcs raiding from the mountains, when the dwarf holds are frozen over and can't keep them thinned out, see..? But one thing orcs don't do is take up long term residence."

One did not live as long as Taalia had beneath the lash of Skaven slavery by not developing a sixth sense for danger. Those who couldn't spot an arse-whopping coming didn't last long - Taalia lasted longer than most. It was this same extraordinary perception that was tingling across the girls shoulders and down her spine like cold fingers as she stared at that abandoned villa, her eyes fixated upon it and her face a hardened expression that would look out of place for the normally friendly girls average disposition.

"Wait here, with this," Taalia answered finally, reaching over to the storage of the flying machine and withdrawing her blunderbuss. She held it up for either Cestie or Bella to take, before gesturing to the container from which she had drawn it.

"My firearm is in there too," as she drew up the belt-and-holsters of her pistols, drawing them around her waist and buckling them secure.

"We have a total of a hundred shots. I don't like this place. I will check out the villa. Even if it is empty, we're staying in here tonight. There is only one entrance that we can barricade and bottleneck, and I will take tonights watch. If I'm not back in ten minutes, barricade the door and do not emerge until you're certain the coast is clear. I will knock as so..." and she held up her left hand, and then used her hand to 'knock' a three-stroke-double-tap sequence silently against her palm. "Do not open this door for any other signal and assume it has ill-intent."

It was clear by the look on Taalia's face and her tone of voice that she was not putting this up for debate. This was what was going to happen.

"It's probably nothing, but I didn't survive sixteen years trusting 'probably'."

With that, Taalia collected a few things and crept her way towards the Villa, long-forgotten creeping instincts returning to her with surprising ease.

ooc:

Taalia will take:
- Her shield, which she has out.
- Her sword, which she had sheathed.
- Her Good dagger, sheathed in her boot.
- Her pistols, one of which she has in her hand. She's got a pouch on her belt with a few extra shots.
- A rope.
- No lantern, she's got Night Vision, she doesn't need it.
- She's wearing her armour.
- Her lucky charm.
- Her backpack.