The Price of Chaos

[Eoghann Lee Frye]

The winter night was cold and dark. Shadows crept up from the darkness, taking on the shape of misshapen creatures that threatened to drag you down into hell itself if you weren't careful. The path was hidden, but it was a path Eoghann Lee Frye's horse had come accustomed to. An owl hooted in the distance, and the only sound was the horses crunching feet in the snow as it made it's way to the glowing lights in the distance.

His cloak was pulled tight around him, warming him from the bite of the cold. His face stung, and no doubt the tip of his nose was red from the cold air, but he knew spring was on the horizon. And when spring came...So did more chaos.

Eoghann was curious as to how the attack went today. Thus his visit to the Unseelie camp. He hadn't been at the party, busy out on a Ranger patrol himself, but he'd certainly heard about it. He knew King Allarick would be moving the rest of the Rangers out more, they'd be doubling down on their searches of the forest. How unfortunate for the Rangers, that an Unseelie was hidden among them... One that could detour them and get them off on the wrong path with just a simple change of wrong information. Eoghann was positive, that without him these last three years, the Unseelie would have been found already.

Maybe that was his arrogance. None the less, he'd given Oberon the information he needed for the party that afternoon. How many guards, which guest would be prime targets to hit. He'd given him the locations to the entrances and had even plotted out the man's escape route. Now, it was time to see if he was successful or not. Oberon had merely been given one request. Aoife Lee Frye, and Rosemary McIntyre were not to be harmed at the party, or the one who touched them would be toast. He hadn't wanted his sister or cousin there, but he couldn't exactly tell them that...

He rode into camp, waving at the sentries outside who instantly recognized his black stallion. He nodded in greeting at them before he rode further into camp. Fires were lit with several people around them. Talking in hushed whispers. It wasn't as talkative as it normally was, and Eoghann could only assume they were grieving those that had been lost. He soon dismounted, knowing the path to Oberon's tent, and guided the large beast towards it. As he approached, his honey-colored eyes took in the guards outside the tent and nodded. "How is he?" He called. A few of them had stolen glances shared with each other before one spoke up. "...He's been...better." They admitted. Eoghann frowned, his brows furrowing and his eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked. "He was injured, we'll see if he wants visitors." The other spoke before he quickly went into Oberon's tent to tell him that the Boggart, Eoghann Lee Frye was there.

"Injured?" He said in almost disbelief. How bad was it? Who had it been? Was he alright? Eoghann instantly found himself annoyed and tied his horse to a post near several others. Before he came back, waiting to hear the news. He had a brief wonder if Risa Devany would show herself tonight as well, but for now...He waited to see if his Fae King was willing to have an audience.

[Oberon]

Eoghann would hear the Fae 'king' before he saw him.

"Oh, get out of the way. You said yourself I was lucky it wasn't deeper, and that it would heal. So step aside," he argued sharply.

The timid healer's voice didn't carry as well to those outside, but Caius heard him well enough as he protested that rest was key to healing, and that straining a fresh injury was a bad idea. He just didn't particularly care. He brushed past the man unceremoniously, only wincing slightly as he knocked his injury against the man's elbow.

Fine, so it was tender, but that wasn't going to stop him from speaking with one of his best spies. This was vital intelligence.

He emerged from the tent with a wide smile for Eoghann. "Good to see you, my friend. How fare the patrols today? Fruitless as usual, I hope?"

He joked with his voice, with his smile, but the dullness in his eye suggested the truth--they had lost more fae than he had hoped already today. He didn't want to hear of more. He may have seemed careless at the time, only taking time to preach and shout at the party, but he had been distinctly aware of every fallen fae. He would speak at their funerals himself, ones with no corpses to bury. He knew all too well the price of this war. They were all willing to pay it, but he still felt the cost, the extra weight on his soul.

His smile faded after he had clapped the other man on the shoulder, leading him to a seat near the campfire. The fire gleamed an unnatural green and emitted no smoke--the work of one of their non-combative fae. Still, despite its unearthly appearance, it was warm and dry, something that was sorely needed on these long winter days and nights.

"Nearly twenty lost, at the party," he explained as he carefully took a seat, only a flicker of his brow giving away the flash of pain in his side as he bent. "And precious few nobles removed, although we did take some valuables, and I think dear Allarick may have wet his gilded pants."

[Eoghann Lee Frye]

Eoghann was pleased to see that Oberon seemed to be in high spirits. Unphased by this apparent injury he'd acquired that day. A mischievous smile spread across his countenance. "Fruitless as usual." He agreed. Some might not like boring patrols, but Eoghann did, as it meant the Unseelie could do their job unharmed. He caught the look in Oberon's eye though, and the smile soon faded. They had lost people, good people who merely wanted to fight for their rights to exists. Each blow was a heavy one. 

Eoghann turned with Oberon as he clapped his shoulder, following him to the campfire where he'd sit down next to him. Letting the green flames cast them in it's eerie light. He pulled his cloak together more to help keep out the cold as he listened to Oberons report. Grimacing as he heard how many they'd lost. Since he hadn't heard that Aoife and Rosemary were harmed, he was grateful. It did lead him to wonder however, how many of that twenty his little sister had caused the death of... 

He chuckled at the thought of Allarick pissing his pants. "I hope they were brown gilded pants then." He murmured quietly amused. He would have hoped for better news. News that they were more successful, but that didn't seem to be the case. "What have we learned from this encounter?" He asked. Eoghann was looking at this as a learning experience. They could, no-- they would be better next time. More prepared. They knew now what they were fighting against. 

[Risa Devany]

What had happened? How did it go wrong? Risa didn't know whether to be more concerned or furious over the whole ordeal and had to wait hours before she could get answers.

Leaving her sister safely at home, she snuck out of the manor and raced towards Namyca Forest at full speed. She was pushing the poor horse to its limits, but brought the pace to a brisk walk once she found the proper path. It was a long while later that those of the camp would hear the heavy hoofbeats of the animal on the cold, compact earth, and she emerged from the trees after Unseelie guards allowed her entry.

She dismounted immediately, tying the horse off before yanking the heavy hood from her head while those dark eyes looked over the many gathered faces. Eventually, attention fell upon her cousin and Oberon near the fire, and her steps were rushed despite the long ride. It wasn't often that she shared her displeasure, but upon hearing both Aoife and Rosemary had been caught in the fray, Risa couldn't keep the emotion from her pale features.

"Tell me," she nearly demanded, struggling to stop herself from stepping over the line. "What happened? My cousins could have been hurt...did we even get word to the princess?" Or had this all just been a ploy to frighten the king?

[Oberon]

The commotion of a new arrival caught Caius's attention, and he looked up to see a dark-haired woman approaching. Ah, Risa Devany. No surprise there; if anything he was expecting to field her venomous indignation even sooner than this. Any tied to those two young women, Rosemary and Aoife, seemed to be just as fiery as the Lee Frye magic was famed to be. It was good that they felt such a compulsion to protect their family--it was part of what drove them here, after all.

Caius actually smiled grimly as Risa interrupted before he could answer her cousin's question. He could answer them both at once, now.

"Have a seat, love. I was just about to tell your cousin the same thing." He gestured to the seat next to Eoghann.

"What we've learned is that the king is not so naive as he appears to be. There were at least half a dozen wardens embedded in that party, and more than one appears to have used a gramarye or some magical item of their own. You're correct in that I didn't anticipate so many wardens would be spending their time schmoozing with the king and his lackeys. I had anticipated normal soldiers, who would be frightened by a few parlor tricks. However--" He raised an eyebrow and his expression turned sly. "This may not have been for nothing. The king will be riding high, basking in the glow of his success, that even when we struck at the heart of his kingdom his people slaughtered us. The wardens will be scolded, surely, for letting us get so close, but little harm was done to him."

"What we've done is paint him a picture of us as greedy, power-hungry, and weak. Like a gnat he can simply swat away. An annoyance. And now that he thinks we're in the mood for paltry theatrics...he won't be expecting betrayal from within."

He turned his attention to Risa, all traces of smile gone from his face. "Your young cousin, Rosemary. She's close with the princess, is she not?" he asked. "Could she be trusted to deliver a letter without snooping?"

[Eoghann Lee Frye]

Eoghann’s gaze quickly turned to the figure that was hurrying towards them. His body tensed for a moment until he realized it was his cousin Risa. He smiled up at her. That loose, smile that made him difficult to read. It made him seem like he was always up to something, or knew something you didn’t. “Oberon was just about to get to that. Come Sit Ris.” He said patting the spot on the beside him.

If she did, he’d wrap an arm around her shoulders, giving her a comforting squeeze as way of greeting, but also to let steady her. He was worried as well, considering his sister had been at the event, but it would do them no good to get riled up until they knew for sure what they were dealing with. His arm would drop after a moment before he leaned his forearms on his knees.

He listened carefully then to what Oberon had to say about the events that had taken place. They’d lost several men, more then what Oberon had wanted. His upper lip curled in disgust at the mention of the Wardens and he could feel that air around him charge a little with his agitation. His lips pursed in annoyance. What happened to magic is evil, Allarick? He thought bitterly. You’re fighting fire with fire now? You sick bastard.

As Oberon said it might not have been for nothing, he glanced at him, a brow rising as he gave the other man his full attention. As the cause and effect was laid out, that mischievous grin was back on Eoghann’s face. This is the part he liked. The deceit, the sneaking around. The fact the enemy thought they were weak when they were in fact strong…. It was different high all together.

He glanced between Risa and Oberon then, at the mention of Rosemary. He reached up rubbed his jaw in thought, letting his gloved hand run over the bristles of his short beard. His eyes narrowed slightly. “If you can slip it in and disguise it, I don’t Rose would even realize what she had.” He voiced, his voice quiet as he glanced at Risa for confirmation.

[Risa Devany]

Risa far more furious than she was letting on, but she knew she had to bite her tongue. Elsewhere, she took charge. It was simply in her nature to do so and there few who would argue. However, here in the Unseelie camp, she was not their leader. Despite her concerns, Oberon had her respect- she just had to curb the emotions a little bit. So, she was reluctant to take a seat, but after a moment would do so, sitting beside her cousin. Eoghann's light embrace helped dim the fire in her veins, yet she was still going to remain on edge until she had a better idea of what went down at that party.

Her back stiffened. At least half a dozen Wardens, all at a king's foolish gathering? Were they being extra cautious and protecting their leader, or were these secret soldiers growing in number? The latter thought had her brow furrowing slightly, her lips pursing in question, all the while she listened to Oberon explain.

'This may not have been for nothing.' A small glint of hope filtered into those dark eyes as she regarded him over the flames of the fire. What Risa didn't like hearing was that there had been little harm done to the king. He continued, expressing how the Unseelie would look weak now- and that was a good thing. This time it was a good thing, even if the idea bothered her, causing her to gently grind her teeth in frustration. The idea of being perceived as weak grated on her nerves, the challenge boiling in her blood.

With the mention of Rosemary, her gaze flickered up from the fire to Oberon. Risa nodded lightly in agreement with her cousin. "She's not usually the curious sort like that. Were she to believe the princess was in danger, then perhaps...but she has no reason to read the woman's letters." That, and it would be wrong, and Risa didn't believe Rosie was a rule breaker.

[Oberon]

Caius nodded slowly at the evaluation of the two cousins. It should be simple enough to send a hidden message to the princess. The question then became whether or not she would be receptive to the message he had to share. He knew enough--or at least had conjectured enough--to suspect that her own mother had been a powerful mystic, which meant there was a good chance the princess was as well, despite Alarick's determination to smother her in that dank and molding castle. The man was full of darkness and ignorance, and the way he kept his home only highlighted that fact.

If that was so, then he would be like Prometheus, passing forbidden knowledge. If he could enlighten her, how easy it would be for her to turn against the man who kept her ignorant. How natural.

If only he could have a chance to speak with her directly, sound out the motives of her heart… But that would have to come at a later time.

"If you have no objections, then I will send a missive with you soon. We'll disguise it as a normal letter, but hide another message with it. Heat reactive, perhaps?" He raised a brow at the pair, judging their reactions. He knew, too, that both of them had been shaken by the threat to their cousins. Few members of that family had been present at the gathering--the young McIntyre must have gone because of the princess, unfortunately for her. He would have to be more careful in the future...or instruct this pair to keep the others away from any targeted events. It wasn't ideal, but...well, he understood the value of family all too well.

"This will be the only one we send my messenger. Better not to pull the girl into our plans unless she's a willing participant. The rest can be done as dead drops. Leave it in a book in the library, hidden under one of the busts in the hall, never the same place twice."