Searching for Clues [Camaria] >plot<

[Rose]

Rose collapsed into a nearby chair outside of a cafe. Her feet were killing her! Her feet hadn't hurt her this much since her time spent as a Centaur, and that was awhile ago.

So far, the search was going nowhere. Nobody that she and her companions had questioned had seen or heard anything of a fugitive escaped from Tortall. And Cynthia would've stuck out like a sore thumb in this place, where blond hair and icy blue eyes were uncommon.

Rose sighed. This search was going to take forever, and she still had to get to the Yamani Islands for the peace talks. Not to mention she needed to meet with Queen Dovasary and speak with her. A waitress came outside with a cup of water and some food and offered it to her. Rose accepted gratefully. She was thirsty and hungry!

[Jazz]

Camaria made her way out into the sun, her mage's robe billowing out behind her as she walked with quick, powerful steps. For once, she was wearing the silver-hemmed indigo robe on purpose; it was just all-round easier to get around in the richer districts if it was apparent that you were of some significance. Camaria was in the Isles for several reasons, but mainly because of her magic studies. Being of the second-highest rank, one level beneath black, she was welcomed at the Univeristy, and the people country gave mages respect. The commoner girl did not like to give herself airs, but she was in a hurry and stressed out of her mind.

She was looking for one Lady Roseanna of Castlemaine, the Tortallan King's Champion. She'd been to the palace, the University, and more places to which she'd been shunted to. Eventually she'd been told that the Lady was exploring the town, so Cam decieded to use the opportunity to see a bit of the town herself, whilst looking for the knight. This was extremely important, or Cam would not go through such great lengths to find the lady. Pushing her glasses up, so that they did not fall off, she sruveyed the small street of cafes and quaint shops. She almost grinned with relief, but she was too tired and the situation too serious. She approached the woman, not in the least shy.

"Lady Roseanna?" she asked, making sure she'd found the right person. She spoke in clear, slightly accented Tortallan, pushing a stray braid out of her eyes.

[Rose]

Rose brushed some crumbs off of her amethyst satin tunic. Normally she'd have worn something a bit more practical, but as she was here on official business, it'd probably be better if she dressed a bit more to her station. The satin tunic was embroidered with silvery thread, though her breeches were made more for comfort than fashion. Her knee high riding boots gleamed black even through the thin coat of dust that now coated them.

"Lady Roseanna?"

Rose's amethyst eyes looked up into a young girls own eyes. She wore an indigo mages robe embrodiered with silver, giving her a symbol of importance.

"Yes, I am she. Can I help you?" she asked politely.

[Jazz]

Camaria smiled slightly at the lady's manner. She hadn't spoken to the lady before, but she had seen her, and she rather liked the Champion. She was nobility, indeed, but she was also a formidible mage, so Cam felt easier talking to her. She always felt more at ease if she could relate to a person. "I am Camaria Alevi - I am a mage at the Royal University in Tortall," she said. She spoke quickly, but enunciated her words quickly, so there wasn't a problem deciphering her words. "I hope I'm not bothering you, but if you've time, there a matter of delicate nature I'd like to discuss."

Matter of a delicate nature. Anyone who's been involved in politics could see that Camaria meant that she'd like to talk to Roseanna in private. She was acting out of her station, but she doubted that the knight would give a d**n. Her eyes were serious enough, and she was toying with a silvery-grey cord of magic - a habit she tended to employ whenever she was particularly stressed. It was quite bad of her - it scared some, annoyed, and who knows what else. But Cam, like many scolars, was very absent-minded when worried.

[Rose]

"I am Camaria Alevi - I am a mage at the Royal University in Tortall, I hope I'm not bothering you, but if you've time, there a matter of delicate nature I'd like to discuss."

"Hello Camaria. And no, I've time to speak to you about this matter." she said with a smile, though her eyes remained serious as she raised silvery amethyst walls of magic to keep out eavesdroppers.

Rose noted different things about the girl. At the moment she was playing with a cord of silvery-grey colored magic. She spoke with slightly accented Common. Finishing her act of magic, Rose gestured to the seat across from her.

"Please, do sit. Now tell me, what is this matter of delicate nature that you speak of." she said kindly.

[Jazz]

"Hello Camaria. And no, I've time to speak to you about this matter."

Camaria remained slient as the woman put up magical screens. She was bold, though she was within her rights to do so - many would not dare to use such advanced magic so openly. Camaria pulled up a chair, and sat down opposite Roseanna, in the gestured seat. She didn't sit like a noble, nor did she sit typical of a commoner. She sat with a straight, confident posture, leaning slightly across the tabletop.

"Please, do sit. Now tell me, what is this matter of delicate nature that you speak of."

"Thank you. You are here searching for the former Cynthia of Longlake, are you not?" she asked bluntly. She had no time for pleasantries, no time for ettiquette, for this was indeed a delicate matter. She twirled the cord of power aroun din her fingers, playing with it. Often she felt the need to vent powerful emotions - rage, stress, worry. It was perfect for exactly that, it kept her calm, and it kept her focused. Camaria was a scholar, and prone to distraction.

[Rose]

Rose hid a smile as Camaria sat opposite of her. She liked this girl, she had spunk. She sat not like a noble, nor like a commoner. She sat with a straight posture, her very demeanor giving off an air of confidence.

"Thank you. You are here searching for the former Cynthia of Longlake, are you not?"

Rose's amethyst eyes locked onto Camaria's face. Did she have news? Would it give them a lead? Her heart skipped a beat. Maybe they were closing in...

"I am. Have you news to tell me about her?" she asked. "Any sort of news would be welcome. We've had no leads since we got here."

[Jazz]

"Better." Camaria smiled grimly, then pressed her hands together. The silver-grey cord dissolved into her skin, momentarily casting a glow on her hands. "Before I left, the headmistress familiarized me with Cynthia's magic," Camaria explained to her companion. "I was to keep a lookout. Cynthia spoke to me by the name of Catherine de Bourgh. She'd dyed her hair dark, and she was wearing an expensive gown - no doubt she's changed by now. I spoke to her a little over an hour ago. SHe dissappeared - she 'had to be somewhere'."

Camaria leaned back slightly, less tense. "I placed a tracking spell on her magic - I don't think she's caught on to it yet. She's powerful, but not that powerful." Camaria re-adjusted her steel-rimmed glasses, gazing at Roseanna through storm grey eyes. The relief that she had found the lady was intense; she felt as if a load had been lifted off her back. The situation wasn't as pressing, now that they knew she was here. Even if she lost the tracking (which was extremely unlikely) they would still know her general whereabouts.

[Rose]

"Better. Before I left, the headmistress familiarized me with Cynthia's magic. I was to keep a lookout. Cynthia spoke to me by the name of Catherine de Bourgh. She'd dyed her hair dark, and she was wearing an expensive gown - no doubt she's changed by now. I spoke to her a little over an hour ago. SHe dissappeared - she 'had to be somewhere'."

Rose's eyes gleamed in the light. FINALLY! They had a lead! And the way Camaria spoke of Cynthia, Rose could definitly tell that it was indeed the one and the same.

"I placed a tracking spell on her magic - I don't think she's caught on to it yet. She's powerful, but not that powerful."

"A tracking spell eh? Very nice, very nicely done. What else was she wearing? Was she wearing a pendent of some sort? It should've been a ruby pendent...but then again she could've spelled it to match her outfit..." she said, trailing off.

This day was turning out better than expected. Rose needed to get word to her companions that they had a lead.

"Where did you last see her Camaria? That'd help us in figuring out which direction she went in also. She'd probably want to go some place secluded to do her magic..." Rose said. Cynthia was trying to bring back her dead husband, so it'd only make sense. And if she actually managed to bring Bael back...well, that probably wouldn't be a very good thing.

"Camaria, I'm about to ask you something, and I only want you to answer with Yes if you feel extremely strongly about it. Would you help us capture her?" she asked the girl. She'd be useful, especially since she was the mage who'd cast the tracking spell.

[Rhianna Kiandra]

Soaring in her favorite bird form, a hawk, Rhianna glided over the Yamani Islands. With her raptor vision, she could see almost every minute detail. Spotting her knight mistress outside a cafe, the squire descended, circling. Perching on the back of a nearby chair, and startling its occupants, Rhianna gave a screech to let her know who she was. It's me, Rose[/color]

[Jazz]

"A tracking spell eh? Very nice, very nicely done. What else was she wearing? Was she wearing a pendent of some sort? It should've been a ruby pendent...but then again she could've spelled it to match her outfit..."

Camaria shrugged off the praise, before turning her memory to the girl's outfit. She'd made a note of it - she normally didn't give a damn, but once she'd figured it out, she'd taken in as much detail as possible. She thought that the fugitive was an idiot - any mage could have sensed the power in that jewel, and she spells in to make in appear differently. "She had a pendant. It looked like a sapphire to be, but it was clearly very powerful."

"Where did you last see her Camaria? That'd help us in figuring out which direction she went in also. She'd probably want to go some place secluded to do her magic..."

Again, Camaria though carefully before she spoke. She didn't want to get anything wrong. "In the tourist marketplace, by the docking bays but a bit further in. She wanted to steer clear of the noblility district, headed off into the poorer shopping streets. She hasn't dislodged the tracker yet - I doubt she even knows it's there." Camaria smiled, a humourless smile, she sort you smile when you applaud yourself but the situation is too serious to be happy.

"Camaria, I'm about to ask you something, and I only want you to answer with Yes if you feel extremely strongly about it. Would you help us capture her?"

Cam did as the Champion asked, giving it careful though. She really did want to help; she'd seen first hand what the woman could do. But she'd be tangling herself in dangerous waters... She opened her mouth to answer, but stopped at the screech of a hawk. Turning her head to see the hawk behind her, Cam grinned. A skilled mage could sense magic, even wildmagic. Judging by the way the hawk looked at them, she guessed that he/she knew Roseanna. She turned her attention back to the knight, and nodded once. "Of course I'll help."

[[Rosie... can you reply to the Golden Wok thread? Pretty please?]]

[Rose]

"She had a pendant. It looked like a sapphire to be, but it was clearly very powerful."

Rose frowned. A sapphire now. A powerful jewel...eyecatching, and one similar to the one that Duke Roger had used on Alanna and Prince Jonathan when they had fought the Ysandir.

In the tourist marketplace, by the docking bays but a bit further in. She wanted to steer clear of the noblility district, headed off into the poorer shopping streets. She hasn't dislodged the tracker yet - I doubt she even knows it's there."

Rose laughed. Cynthia had never been to bright in logic. She couldn't wait to see her face when she arrested her. She relished the thought.

"That'd be just like her. She's so vain and conceited, she wouldn't even stop to think that you may've put a tracking spell on her."

It's me, Rose.

Rose turned around in her chair, an amused smile on her face.

"Well hello Rhianna, fancy seeing you here. Won't you join us my squire?" she said, waving a hand. A small opening in the shields appeared, enough to allow a bird sized occupant to squeeze through.

"Of course I'll help."

Rose loved the sound of those words.

"Excellent. Do you have accomadations already or will you need some to be arranged?" she asked.

[Rhianna Kiandra]

Mentally smiling, Rhianna flapped through the opening in the shields and took a spot on the table. Thanks, Rose

[Jazz]

"That'd be just like her. She's so vain and conceited, she wouldn't even stop to think that you may've put a tracking spell on her."

Camaria smiled, but didn't answer. The woman had seemed very arrogant, but Cam had only met her once before. Judging by Roseanna's attitude, the lady must have known Cynthia quite well - not in a good way, though. Rose looked to be carrying some pretty heavy baggage. Camaria hadn't been directly affected by the fugitive - but she'd seen the aftermath of the Masbolle War first hand, and she wasn't going to give Cynthia the benefit of the doubt.

"Well hello Rhianna, fancy seeing you here. Won't you join us my squire?"

Once again, Camaria turned in her sat to watch the hawk. He/she flew threw the opening in the sheilds and perched on the table. Cam nodded in acknowledgement of the squire, smiling. "Pleased to meet you," she said to the shapeshifter, before turning back to Rose.

"Excellent. Do you have accomadations already or will you need some to be arranged?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm staying at the University," Camaria told her new companion, pushing up her spectacles. "I've already arranged my rooms there."

[Rose]

Thanks Rose.

"No problem Rhianna. We've got a hit on Cynthia, so we'll be out of here in no time at all." she said.

Hopefully. she added to herself.

They had to stop Cynthia before she figured out a way to raise Bael. Bael was powerful, blessed with the powers of the Black God. Making him a very difficult foe to defeat and overcome. It'd be bad news for them all if he were to suddenly return from the vacation he had been taking for the past few months.

"No, I'm fine. I'm staying at the University. I've already arranged my rooms there."

"Wonderful. I'm staying at the Palace in the nobles wing. Meet me outside the palace gates tomorrow morning at 10. We've got us a fugitive to catch." she said.