In Most Uncommon Company
Fifteenth Day of the First Month 294 AC
The Seeker accompanies you from the courtyard, it's cloak billowing in the afternoon breeze. By the time you make it back into the keep, however, it had taken on a glamored form possessed of only two arms, though as ever, the face it adopts is not one to incline strangers to chat. By contrast, the pair of mind dragons show up in human form with their hair dyed brilliant blue after the Tyroshi fashion and wearing layered veils in the manner of the Djinn lords. A more obvious set of spies you would have a hard time contemplating...
"We are hiding in plain sight," one of the pair tries at your look in askance.
"Try to look a bit more plain then," you offer struggling not to smile. It is sometimes easy to forget how young they are, but at times like these it is plain as the sun in the sky.
There is a knock on the window behind you.
You do not turn around. "Come in, Kira, we were just getting ready to depart."
Hopefully.
The incarnate floats in, gigging and wholly unrepentant. Ser Richard murmurs something almost inaudible from the back of the room and you suspect the trio of furies who entered with him would join him if they needed to make use of something as crude as words to mark their displeasure.
Qyburn and company drift in shortly afterwards... well as much as an animate corpse encased in hardened steel can drift at least, but its guiding intelligence does seem to be looking around with genuine interest, quickly striking up a conversation with Kira about the potential dangers of Oldtown and the worth of enemies remains once slain.
"I'm glad there won't be quite so many of us in lord Hightower's solar," your mother says diplomatically. She had obviously thought the better than attempting to curb the increasingly bloody conversation.
Danar and Alyssa are the last into the meeting, looking more lighthearted after spending some time with their daughter. "Oldtown, eh?" the Skagosi asks. "Dangerous place, I heard, though I'm betting not as much as all of us."
"Best not to put that to the test," you reply even as everyone joins in a circle for the journey, living and dead, mortal and immortal.
***
The stone flies from under your feet and you are suddenly in an alley near the Honeywine, the Quill and Tankard just barely in sight. "Ah," Qyburn sighs. "This brings back memories."
"Good ones?" Danar asks, curious in spite of himself about the soft spoken flesh-smith whom even the younger dragons treat with the respect of a favored uncle.
"Remarkable ones," he replies. Osryx and the Mind dragons all nod in understanding, while the skald seems to think the better of asking any further questions, at least for now. An excess of caution is not in his nature, you know.
While Qyburn and company go about their business through the winding streets, and Elaheh ventures below them, the the others slip into the city to begin their own investigations regarding what has gone on in the Reach in recent days, leaving only you and Ser Richard to head towards the Hightower itself and receive news from its lord.
***
Baelor Hightower greets you with a smile worthy of his more common moniker, though from the stacks of parchment hastily tucked out of sight, you suspect he would have circles under his eyes were it not for the band of enchanted sliver you spy upon his left hand. Although you cannot read its aura, you can certainly read the Shaitan script on it, a ring of sustenance. "I must warn you, my lord, that even with twenty two hours awake every day, there still do not seem to be enough of them," you offer in jest.
"Alas, Your Grace, that I have already discovered," he replies ruefully. "To what do I owe the honor of your company?"
You go on to explain that you have some idea how to improve the city's defenses, particularly in the sewers and catacombs, adding however, that such alterations will not be easy to enact. From simple purification rings to lead-lined chambers and corridors, to making use of Green-born servitors immune to enchantment and other powers of the mind, to soul-forged unliving driven by puppeteer molds, there is much you could to to make Oldtown safer and you do not hesitate in naming any of those means plainly.
"The Lantern bearers, while excellent at their current task, would not be able to stem an all out assault from the sea," you finish simply. "I need them to help keep any inquisitive souls away from the underground works while these defenses are put in place."
"Of course..." He shakes his head. "Strange business having to secretly set up protections against the enemies of all, but hopefully that will not last much longer. I do have one question for you before we continue. Broadly speaking, how much authority will I have over these defenders of Oldtown? I have seen battle before, if not of this sort, and I know how important it is to have a clear line of local command in case of sudden attack."
What do you reply?
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OOC: Hope this does not jump around too much while I was getting everyone to where they needed to go with a bit of interaction to keep things flowing. Not yet edited.
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