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[Lady LaBelle]

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Splashing water upon her face, LaBelle reached to the woman’s hands for the outstretched cloth to dry.“Nora, your services are not longer needed on this estate. You are dismissed, your time with the Lord Majere and I has been greatly appreciated.” The house woman stared blankly at the Paladin lady. LaBelle reached into a fold of her skirt, producing a small pouch of gold coin. She placed it in the woman’s hand. Without further words, the house maiden bowed her head, and moved toward the stairwell, where she kept her belongings. LaBelle took cares through the house, securing chests, and tossing spoiled food to the outdoors. She watched the house woman depart solemnly, and she continued to busy herself with the final arrangements.

Removing trinkets carefully, she placed them into a chest near the bookshelves. She trusted the one she had asked to see the books made it to the widely known Athenaeum. She would miss greatly this collection, one so large it had taken many years to acquire. She could take nothing with her, this trek of Humility. It was forbidden to take those things beyond necessity.

She heard the hooves approaching, riders to escort her. The Lord Majere had left weeks before, these were the men he sent to escort her to him. Closing the door softly behind her, LaBelle looked to the gentlemen, and single lady, whom all bowed their heads to her. The attending woman moved close to LaBelle and offered a hand. She reached, using the woman’s grip to thrust herself upon the mount. “Milady.” said she, in a respectful tone, “Do you desire to ride front?” LaBelle shook her head, and lowered her eyes, she knew these people not, and did not wish them see her tears at this moment.

Turning the horses, the riders left off without hesitation. LaBelle had only moments to glance behind her. She prayed silently that all she left behind would not be forgotten, that the lands would come of an age at last of great leadership, and that her sister Mia, would find it in her heart to forgive this unannounced departure.

~~The Estate of Lady LaBelle and Leshok Majere stands outside the mother city, where they had dreamt a life, prosperous, and whole. It stands where their dreams did not. The lady LaBelle former Lady Paladin of the Paladins of the Virtues, and Chamberlain to the Grand Regent Rufus Oryan contends that the Government of Britannia, beloved to her, has failed. She and her Lord Majere have rededicated themselves to a Virtuous path, hers that of Humility.~~

~It is hopeful, that neither will be forgotten, that their values, accomplishments, and characters will live on in Britannia.~



~Peace and Health~

[Mia Stormcrow]

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The day started as most, with devotions, there were letters to write, the details of everyday life to attend to, cleaning, mending and ensuring Shasta got her exercise. Unlike other days in recent months, Mia was able to bring clarity of focus to the tasks at hand, so by early afternoon, she had completed those duties that usually dragged on until late evening. Faced with some unexpected free time on her hands, she contemplated what to do. Finally working up her courage, she sent a missive to Porthos excepting one of his many invitations to hunt that he had sent in recent weeks.

At first she was nervous of every action around him, conscientious of every bowshot she took, every spell she cast, and embarrassed at a rarely miscast spell. She soon forgot this disquiet as they fell into a natural rhythm; each totally complimenting the other; that she had shared with so few others. It had been so long that, Mia had almost forgotten the pleasure of a quiet hunt, companionship afforded by such moments of leisure and the small talk between the closest of friends. They each reveled in the action at hand and the others company.

Suddenly, Mia was struck with a overwhelming and profound sense of loss, such of the like that had occurred rarely in her life. She turned to Porthos, trying to keep the panic she felt from her voice, and said, “I must go…” and she cast a gate upon the first rune that came at hand, puzzled, he silently escorted her thru the summoned gateway, to the village of Skara Brae. She gave him a pleading look as she quickly chose another rune from her book, “I am so sorry…” she managed to stammer, as she triggered the spell that would take her to her next destination. The look of concern and confusion was plain upon his face, in a gentle voice he managed to say “As Milady wishes” before she faded from view.

Arriving in northeastern Britain, Mia wheeled her mount about and raced to the bridge and the eastern road. She could not contain the fear and panic she felt as she urged her noble mount to breakneck speed, tearing down the long dusty road towards Labelle’s cottage. She was forced to slow her mount as they turned up the side path into the woods, still urging the creature to move swiftly, she barely managed to avoid being swept from the saddle by the low hanging branches that lined the path.

Entering the clearing, Mia dismounted, leaving her steed to care for itself, and ran to the cottage’s front door, only to find it locked. Tears running down her face, she beat upon the door frantically, “M’Lady! M’Lady!! …” she pleaded, but to no avail, the door remained locked and the house silent. Knowing what she’d see, Mia, stumbled to the nearest window and peered in, the bookcases that lined the walls, bare of her Lady’s beloved books, the furniture gone or stacked in the corner, the house was empty and deserted. In shock she mounted her steed, and whispered into its ear, “Home, take me home…I want to go home…”, not caring the direction or speed, Mia, buried her face into the horse’s main, losing herself to her tears and her grief.

The moon was way past it’s zenith, when Mia realized that they had arrived, she didn’t remember the trip home, and had no idea how long they had been standing outside the halls door. As she entered the hall, she locked the door behind her, and wearily climbed the steps to the second floor, pausing to touch the door to the room, LaBelle had always used on her visits, before going to her own bedchamber. Mia was greeted by a happy bark as she entered, but said nothing, only patting Shasta on the head as she made for her bed. Mia undressed, leaving her clothes to fall to the floor, and crawled into bed. Shasta, sensing something was wrong, jumped onto the bed and settled next to her mistress. Mia hugged the dog tightly and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Rest did little to ease the way Mia felt as the next day dawned and she went about her daily routine. Everyplace she went in the hall, there was something the reminded her of LaBelle, or held a special memory of a time spent together. At times she smiled, to think upon her Lady’s natural grace, kindness, and humility. Little by little, as the day wore on, Mia became more accepting of Labelle’s leaving, and took comfort, knowing that she had touched so may lives, as she had hers, in her time here. She would always hold LaBelle and her memory in a special in her heart, for she had been more than a friend, teacher and mentor, but also the mother Mia had never known. Mia vowed not only to honor her memory, but also to pass on her teachings to the generations to come.

Finally, Mia felt up to the task she had put off all morning. Entering the trophy room, she approached the table holding relics from the past, testimonies to the great paladins of history, and the Book of Remberance. Tears running down her face, Mia removed the ring of keys from her belt, her hands trembling so badly, she had trouble selecting the small key she sought. The book’s lock was stiff from disuse and reluctantly yielded to the keys pressure upon its mechanism. From the table’s single drawer, Mia removed an eagle feather quill of the purest white, and a vial of liquid gold ink. Slowly and reverently she turned the crimson velum pages, each containing names from the past, until she reached a page holding names she knew, she spoke their names softly as she read, “Talin, Fera, Radeyn, Gohan: Paladin of Compassion.” She had come to the end of the list, wiping away her tears, Mia took a long slow breath, opened the vial of ink, and dipped the pen into it. Carefully she inscribed into the book: Lady LaBelle Decantor: Paladin of Humility. As she waited for the ink to dry, she thought, that someday another’s hand would enter her name here, among those Paladins who had passed from this world.
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