WhiteWall - Broyan's Girlfriend

<john>

WANTED: Warrior girlfriend for overtaxed hero king. Must have high opinion of self, abilities, and of own plans to rescue humanity. Hatred of Lunars considered an advantage, as is Lightbringer or Orlanthi cultic background. Ability to handle stress highly rated. All aspirants must supply own hero band/fyrd/mercenary troop.

All enquires to PO BOX 1, Whitewall. Please enclosed SAE for prompt reply.

Meloise De la Court is a 19 year old Esvulari woman. Passionate, stubborn and tempestuous she has never fit easily into the standard Esvulari model for a woman. She has a long history of doing things that have turned her widowed father (Lord Maran De la Court) hair prematurely gray. He had despaired of ever finding a proper husband for her but finally found one in Sir Estes Am Der Mar?, a noted jouster who is well known for the size and insertion depth of the stick up his arse.

(Sir Estes attraction to Meloise's great tracts of land overwhelmed his irritation at her poor track record of proper behaviour).

Lord Maran and Meloise had travelled to a joust where she was to meet her husband. To say they didn't hit it off well is a gross understatement. Unfortunately for Lord Maran and Sir Estes Meloise slipped her handlers and wandered off. While wandering she ran into a certain barbarian king, there to see the jousting, and the pair were smitten. So of course she ran off with the bloke, shaming all parties involved (well except Meloise and Broyan of course).

So Meloise and her old nurse maid (has to be one of course) left the joust early and she (not the old nurse maid) and Broyan have been inseprable ever since. They cannot marry because Meloise insists on a proper church wedding so they're just shacked up together in an arrangement that no one recognizes as proper.

Meloise is not a warrior type and unfortunately brings little in the way of useful skills to the situation. She is willing to learn and loves Broyan passionately. He reciprocates but is a tad paternalistic towards her, well he was but he's gotten over that.

She's not a crier when she's mad, she's a thrower!

Sir Estes, the scorned suitor is outraged and of course has vowed revenge (the other knights won't stop snickering) so he's joined the Lunar forces beseiging Whitewall. Lord Maran? Has he washed his hands of his daughter or is he there with Sir Estes?

(Name changed to something less Garhoundish and (hopefully) more Esvulari! <TT>)

Meloise sat at the arrow slit gazing out. Outwardly she was the picture of perfect calm and decorum, if somewhat distracted looking. Ironically she appeared to be the perfect young Esvulari maiden. Inwardly was a different story. Inside her mind surged like the sea. She found that increasingly her mind did surge about and she wasn't sure that it wasn't the influence of the latent sea magic in the tor below Whitewall. She was seething inside and the main target of her anger was herself. Stupid, stupid girl, she raged, youthful indiscretions were one thing, rank stupidity was another thing altogether. She was furious at herself, furious at the situation and furious at Broyan. If only her first impressions of Sir Estes hand't been so bad. Certainly he was a lout and a braggart but what Esvulari man wasn't? For that matter she thought bitterly what man wasn't? But Sir Estes, her teeth gritted in a most unladylike manner when she thought of his obvious gleeful pleasure at the thought of father's land, he hadn't even looked twice at her. But Broyan, she sighed, he had looked at her like she was a woman, not an inheritance. He made it obvious what he was interested in! Perhaps not her mind or personality but at least something about her. She sighed in resignation. It had seemed so, well romantic, to run off with the man she loved. At the time anyway. But now here she was, far from home with her father hating her, trapped in a fortress surrounded by people who wanted to kill her! And attached, and still attracted she had to admit, to a man who could not or would not marry her.

She looked out down at the Lunar camp and saw it stirring. She shook her head. Almost time for the daily entertainment she thought. Sure enough, down there by the Lunar middens she could see the Esvulari tents. And there was Sir Estes coming out of his tent as dependable as the dawn itself, well when he was well enough to fight that was, his loyal squire trailing him with his weapons. Soon he would ride up to the great staircase and bellow out his daily challenge to Broyan. Who would they send this time? Broyan couldn't go, he was the king, he'd send a champion again. Last time Leika the Vingan had gone, bounding down the hillside, her red hair like a beacon against the grey stone. All she had carried was a pair of javelins and a shield. It had been embarrassing. It wasn't that Sir Estes was a pathetic fighter, his fame as a jouster was far flung. But he had been no match for the laughing Vingan. She had danced and leapt around him, pricking him and his horse with her javelin over and over enraging him until he lost his temper and she had ended the fight. Meloise shook her head again. She hadn't seen the blow. Both sides had stood there laughing and jeering at him and this had just made it worse. But suddenly Leika had taken pity and ended it. She did something and Estes hit the ground and she had saluted him and bound back up the hillside. The worst had been the trickster though. He had beaten Estes with a bladder and a pointed stick. No one faulted Estes for that one! Well, actually she was sure that they did blame him for accepting the challenge in the first place as the trickster had used magic to win.

Meloise sighed again and her hands flexed unconsciously. At least Leika can do something! She wished that she could do something! Maybe she should take up the offer from the Vingans to take up weapon training? Broyan had forbidden it but she'd toss his "No one can force you to do anything" back in his face if she choose. The Vingans offered her pity but it beat Broyan's absentminded affection. She remembered her dreams as well. In them the Moon had loomed ever larger and she felt like some kind of offer was being made. That some sort of path awaited her if she choose to take it. There was acceptance there. And what about the sea? She had always loved the sea and she could hear something calling to her from deep within the tor like the sea had called her when she was a child. That was another offer. But which path should she take? Which was the right choice?

Added 2004/03/10 19:13:34 UTC ODB

Story Seeds!

Meloise approaches a PC for training in weapons. Broyan has forbidden this but hardly anyone takes this seriously as she is a free woman. Do you train her perhaps bringing Broyan's wrath or displeasure on you?
Meloise has been seen speaking with a stranger at night. When confronted about it the next day she has denied speaking to anyone. Broyan asks you to follow her and see what is going on. Who is she speaking to?
Late at night you see Meloise wandering from her room. She seems unware of her surroundings but is still sure footed. She wanders downwards into the Tor and as you follow her you begin to hear the Sea...