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Old 06-04-2006, 10:34 PM   #35
Alcarillo
Shadow of the Past
 
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Minas Mor-go
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Osfrid woke before Muriel did, and to his disappointment found that the sun had already risen. The journey to Edoras and back would be long, and daylight was valuable. At this rate, they might even need to spend the night in the city. But at least that would give Osfrid more time to investigate the residents of the mead hall. Osfrid dressed, and afterwards crouched near the bed to awaken Muriel.

"Wake up, Muriel," he whispered, shaking her gently, "We have to get ready for our big trip today to Edoras. Don’t you want to go buy some jewelry in the markets?"

She woke and groaned, but rolled over and began to sleep again. Osfrid patted her on the head. "I'll be in the kitchen eating breakfast. You just come when you're ready."

He left the tiny bedroom and entered the hall. He spotted Scyld darting far down the hall with a tray of food in his hands, but the rest of the house was empty in the early morning. He walked down the hall to the kitchen, in the part of the house that once quartered dozens of servants. He passed by a few doors of those rooms, now only housing Sorn's henchmen when they stopped by. The entire hall was horribly silent.

Osfrid reached the kitchen and entered. It was long and high-ceilinged, with an enormous hearth at one end. A giant cauldron hung over the coals, though they were cold and the cauldron empty. The only servant present was the cook, a very fat woman chopping carrots at one of the kitchen's long, juice-stained tables. She glanced at Osfrid with a look of disgust and swung her knife at the carrots more fiercely.

"Hello, there," Osfrid said, smiling and inching forwards. The cook grunted. Osfrid continued, "My special lady friend and I are in need of some victuals for a long journey we'll be making today. Once we dine on breakfast, we would very much appreciate it if you could prepare some food for the road."

The cook grunted again and turned her enormous back to Osfrid as she began to prepare breakfast. Osfrid took a seat at one of the tables nearer the door, but immediately stood when he heard the door swing open. It was Muriel, dressed in one of her black dresses and yawning loudly.

"Oh, Osfrid, I had such a funny dream last night!" she said, "There was a winged cat and everything!" She took the seat next to Osfrid's and saw the cook down at the other end of the kitchen. "Is she making breakfast? I'm hungry."

"Yes she is, dearie, and I'm hungry, too. She'll also prepare some food for us during our travels. It's a long trip you know." Osfrid sat down beside Muriel and watched the cook's back for a few moments as she waddled around the tables. "You know, Muriel, we will need false names while we're at the mead hall."

"Oh, yes. It's a spying mission," she said, winking and giggling.

"Yes, dearie, and we need to be very careful that they don't discover our true identities. I was thinking late last night about this, and I've decided to go by the name Bertwald. You must call me Bertwald the entire time we stay at the mead hall, okay? If you call me Osfrid accidentally, bad things will happen, dearie, and Sorn will be angry with us."

"Yes, Osfrid," said Muriel, but at that moment her eyes looked away, "Oh, look! Our breakfast is ready!"

The cook waddled forward, with two plates of eggs in hand. She slid them across the table and cast Muriel a dirty look before waddling back to her side of the kitchen. The eggs were, to be truthful, not completely cooked, and a bit cold, hinting that the cook had prepared them earlier in anticipation of hungry lodgers. Muriel and Osfrid took only a few bites before deciding to push their plates away.

"Ew," said Muriel.

"Now, dearie, don't say that! Those eggs were delicious," Osfrid told her, casting a glance at the cook, "But we have more important things than eggs to take care of. Firstly, what do you want your false name to be? I was thinking of Cyneburg. It's a pleasant enough name, but not too fancy or too simple. What do you think?"

The cook, from across the room and with her back turned, said "My name is Cyneburg." Muriel furiously shook her head.

"I want to be called… Hilda." she said after a few moments of thought.

"Hilda it is, then!" exclaimed Osfrid, "Now, Hilda, if you're finished with your breakfast, I'd like you to find one of Sorn's men and have him prepare the cart for us. I saw Scyld headed toward the cellars. If you find him down there he may be able to help you. As for me, I have to inform Sorn that we'll be leaving soon." He and Muriel stood, and headed for the door.

"Oh, Cyneburg!" Osfrid said, "I'll be back soon for the food you're preparing for our journey." She grunted, and Osfrid and Muriel exited the kitchen.
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