Revolting Rose

Chapter 7/Part 2 - Diabolical Decoration

Vrye stood by his caravan, puffing away at his pipe, while the other Wyverkiiri went on ahead. He had taken it upon himself to distract whomever it was that was sharing their road, but he had such a shock when he saw that it was none other than Mister Nibbs that the pipe leapt from his hand and landed somewhere around his ogres.

"Rather an odd place to stop your carriage, Master Vrye," the fellow said with a tip of his lily-shaped hat.

As he searched for an appropriate excuse for his loitering, Vrye glanced over to his ogres and noticed that old Kobbles had taken up the pipe he had dropped. She was mimicking him, and had her her pulling partner rather excited with her puffs of smoke.

"It's less than ideal, but alas, I once taught my ogres to smoke a pipe. I've been regretting it ever since. Now it seems to be all they ever want to do," Vrye laughed and tried his hardest to avoid direct eye-contact with Nibbs as he stepped down from his steed.

The Tyvern was far too handsome in his white uniform with its silver details that emphasised all the right parts. His mare was a magnificent specimen too, as lithe and handsome as her rider, with a silver coat and jet-black mane. If only Sally would find himself a creature like her instead of that rat of his.

"What brings you up this far? You weren't so upset that I left before we could have dinner that you had to hunt me down, did you?" Vrye asked, pensively stroking his moustache as he contemplated the fellow's figure.

"That isn't the reason, not that I was not sorely put out by the Academy closing before I could have dinner with Vasherri," Nibbs answered. "We may share a son, but I have not yet had the chance to dine with her," he went on. "Speaking of the lad, was it because of Pagne that you left so early?"

"Oh, quite. Convincing young Pagne that apologising to the poor girl would not upset you quite exhausted all of us," Vrye lied with just the right amount of exasperation.

"He can be quite stubborn, can't he?" Nibbs said and peered into Vrye's carriage window. "Did he come this way with his mother? He is urgently required back at the palace. There's a terrible...err...decorating dilemma and I fear he is the only one that could save the Season."

"I'm afraid Pagne didn't join us. When we finally convinced him, the lass had already rushed off and he went after her. I'm afraid I didn't catch which town it was that she came from. Poor thing left in such a hurry. But Pagne was sure he would find her, either that or he was just tired of our lecturing and used it as an excuse to get away, I suppose," Vrye always revelled in the chance to spin a yarn. "Terribly sorry, coming all this way for nothing seems quite a waste of time, and the ride must have been awfully tiring."

"The ride was very tiring, but the bickering of my fellows was worse," Nibbs cast a glower over to his company of guards. The lads had all collapsed on the ground beside their horses. "Ysenich is not much farther is it? Would the Wyverkiiri be willing to offer us beds and a meal perhaps? And might Vasherri have a room I could—"

"Why of course! You'll get anything you need. I'll personally see to it that you dine spectacularly, and if I have my way, you will have the finest bed at your disposal," Vrye said with his most sincere smile.

"If I see Vasherri in the city, this journey will have been worth the pain."

Vrye was almost moved to pity, but not quite. "Well, I happen to know her favourite haunt. If we don't dally, we should be able to find her there," he replied and wandered to his ogres to trade his pipe for some mushrooms.

When they had come to an agreement on just how many it would cost to reclaim, he got on with driving while Nibbs and his guards followed on horseback. He would have offered them a seat in the coach, but he felt it wise to keep them in plain view. Besides, they could better take in the city that way.