Coming to Amber: Tasha - Amba - Helena, Arriving at Despil's WaysIndex | Time Under Chaos | Game Logs | PreGameLogs | Coming to Amber: Tasha-Amba-Helena "Well, as the hallways were not hidden, and the stairs were..." Amba began. "I'm always in favour of the road less travelled, personally. And I personally would prefer not splitting up- if this *is* a test, which it indeed *does* seem to be, sending back help will probably not be an option." Tasha had to agree, not having had any experience with which to contradict her, and not to mention it wouldn't be polite. "Then the stairs it is," Tasha smiled. They began winding their way up the stairs, which shifted in color and texture as they went up. It seemed impossibly long, considering how the building hadn't looked that tall from the outside. Tasha began to have doubts if it really had been the right choice, when suddenly she became aware of movement above her. She clutched at Amba and whispered, "Someone is coming down!" "Well," Amba replied without turning around, "That is what we wanted, is it not? To find someone to help us?" With that, she continued up the stairs, trying to make out who it was coming to meet them. A figure of a young woman in a dark grey dress came into view. "Amba?" they heard, and Amba recognized it as Helena's voice. Even as she asked, Helena saw the distinctive, very recognizable, tattoo on Amba's arm—it seemed iridescent in the light—almost alive. "Helena?" Amba responded recognizing the voice. She increased her speed to close the distance between them, even as she said, "What a surprise! What are you doing here?" Tasha felt relieved. They knew each other. That was good. She looked up expectantly as the other young woman descended to their level, guessing that she had obviously also been invited to dinner, fearing that she might also be just wandering the stairs as they were, though hoping she might know where they needed to go. "I've been invited to dinner, as have you. And as has the woman behind you, who I assume is Tasha Minobee? I'm Helena Barimen-Ishtar, nice to meet you." "Yes, I'm Tasha... A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Helena smiled briefly at Tasha before turning her attention back to Amba. "It's not coincidence, as Despil mentioned knowing we trained together at Hendrake. So tell me, Amba, can you think of any connection you have to my father? Not Lord Torren, but Lord Mandor?" "Oh..." Tasha looked at the gap slowly widening between her and the other two young women, "Um... Sorry to bother you, two... But my stair seems to be... moving. Downwards." Tasha took a step forward, but the stair continued to descend. She took another step, then another. She could barely keep in one place and was walking up rather quickly. "It appears that the answer to that particular question will have to wait," Amba said, looking back towards Tasha. She started to kneel, then realized what she wore, and the fact that her dress wouldn't allow the movement. Sighing, she braced herself as well as she could. "Can you grab my hand?" Amba asked, extending towards Tasha. And extended. And extended, as the iridescent appearance that Helena had earlier noticed became more pronounced and her arm began to look like a tendril of some sort as it grew to attempt to close the gap between the two women and Tasha. Tasha reached forward grabbing onto the offered hand, "If this is another test... I don't think we're doing as well as we did before!" She was almost running now, her skirts hiked up with her free hand. She couldn't continue at this pace, and fearing that she'd fall and drag her new friend with her, Tasha did the only sensible thing she could... She transformed. Only from the waist down, but her powerful hind legs allowed her to leap clear of the movable steps and with Amba pulling her forward, she landed next to the other two women, once again. She felt her face turning ten shades of red and she couldn't meet their eyes. Her mother would be so disappointed in her. Truthfully, Amba looked more relieved than anything else. "Good thinking, shifting under pressure like that!" she exclaimed. "Hopefully," she said, looking back at Helena, "we only have to get back to where you came from?" Helena looked thoughtfully at Tasha. "Don't be embarrassed," she told her, "the issue was forced, as if you were being tested." Tasha took more care to stay right behind the other two women. She watched, with both human and wolven vision, for any additional surprises. Strange house to treat guests in such a fashion. She looked back up over her shoulder. "Supper is that way. Shall we?" "Indeed," Amba said, still smiling as she followed Helena. "You were asking if I had any connection to Lord Mandor," Amba asked as they walked. "No, none that I know of. I've of course heard his name quite a bit," she said. "But nothing other than that." "Does he have something to do with our presence here?" "Yes. He arranged it," Helena replied matter-of-factly. "We're dining with his step-brother Despil." Tasha was amazed that no one had prepared Amba for this dinner, and wondered if she should share with her the warnings her mother had whispered to her before she was leaving. But Tasha suddenly felt shy at the prospect. The women were friends and Helena was providing Amba with inside knowledge. Perhaps it would be best to stay quiet and see if their conversation confirmed Tabitha's suspicions. "But," Amba said confused, "I don't know Lord Despil either. Why would he invite me to dinner—and so mysteriously? Do you have any insight into the situation, Helena?" "Not particularly," Helena replied. "I received my own invitation only about an hour ago. I do know that you and I are going to be invited to go to Amber. I assume Tasha as well, though it wasn't stated specifically." Helena glanced at Tasha over her shoulder. "I'm sorry for being so abrupt and blunt—I'm not forming a good first impression, I imagine. This whole thing is just...unorthodox and awkward. "Were you told, Tasha, why you were invited?" Tasha looked from one to the other and shrugged slightly, "I actually didn't read the invitation myself, but my mother told me that the card we received was from Lord Mandor, and that he was inviting me to Amber for a visit. Then she showed me a small, black road pebble and said it was from Lord Despil, his brother who was inviting me to dinner, along with some other Ladies from Chaos... But I apparently had more notice than you, as it arrived yesterday." "I trust we will get more answers presently," Helena remarked as she reached the top of the stairs and started back down the hallway, leading Amba and Tasha toward the door where she last she saw her uncle. There were no further interruptions and the three found themselves in the room where Helena had left Despil. He was still standing in much the same attitude but now, arranged to one side of the room in a way that gave a breathtaking display over some of the more elaborate Ways of Chaos, looking clear to the shafts of rainbow light and clouds that marked the line of the Abyss, there was a circular table, simply set for six diners. Tasha's eyes grew wide as she entered the room, and at first she didn't even notice the man standing there, instead she was drawn across it to the view from the window. The room looked larger than it should have been, from external appearances. As she glanced at the table, Tasha realized that not all of the guests had yet arrived, as there were only the three of them and two more must be expected. "Greetings," said Despil with a little bow. "Would you care for cocktails?" Helena retrieved the one she'd set down earlier. Amba caught herself looking at the view- it was like nothing that she had ever seen, and her head was already awhirl with thoughts of returning to her easel. But with great difficulty she pulled herself back to the here and now, curtsying only a little late to Lord Despil. "Please," she said to his inquiry. Tasha was startled by the question, and it took her a moment to register that it required a response. "Yes, thank you. Something to drink would be lovely." Then she blinked as she realized the man asking the question was not a servant, but from his appearance must surely be their host. Her cheeks pinked and her eyes grew even wider, if that were possible, and she curtsied, with a soft exclamation, "Oh! Lord Despil?" Despil smiled—he had a boyishly charming smile. The corner of Helena's mouth quirked in response. She would have to watch herself around this one. Too bad he was related. "And you must be Lady Tasha Minobee," he said. "Are you looking forward to your first visit to Amber?" The question seemed to be asked generally and, as he spoke, two glasses were arranging themselves to contain the same combination of smoking green liquid that he had prepared for himself and Helena. He carried them to Amba and Tasha. Helena stood a little apart while she sipped her own drink, politely letting Tasha and Amba answer the question before her. She was content to just listen for now. For her part, Amba took the glass with a small incline of her head to Lord Despil, tasting the liquid even as she listened for Tasha's response. "Yes, I'm Tasha," she smiled and nodded in answer. Her eyes looked down at the smoking glass with a slight bit of apprehension as she took it from his outstretched hand. She'd have preferred an ale, but since the other ladies were drinking this without any untoward effects, she took a tentative sip and was surprised to find it quite tasty. "I am greatly looking forward to seeing Amber, though I hear it is nothing in comparison to the wonders of Chaos." She looked again to the view out the window and flashed a smile. "Well, such is my opinion," said Despil. "My brothers, however, seem to disagree. They all seem to believe that the family's fortune lies in Amber." His smile was perhaps a little teasing. "And do all of you hope to find...fortune there?" "Hardly a fair question to ask, Uncle, when we've only found out about this less than a turning of the sky ago and have little to no idea what this invitation entails," Helena smiled. "It's all very mysterious—just like the identity of the last two people to join our party." Amba looked at Helena with a smile of gratitude, thanking her for running interference. "Are we supposed to be going to Amber? My invitation talked only of the dinner engagement," she said, tentatively. Tasha never thought about fortunes. She had never needed very much, and had been overwhelmed by all the 'things' she had acquired when she had arrived at her parents' estate house in Chaos. "We aren't going to Amber tonight.... Are we??" Tasha asked. "In three days' time," said Despil. "But tonight you should meet your escorts—they may have been a little delayed. Time runs somewhat differently in Amber." Amba worried her lip with her teeth as she waited for someone else to respond- she didn't really know what to say. An invitation to dinner to turn into a trip to...Amber? Why now? Why her? For how long? For what purpose? Those were all questions she could have asked, but didn't want to say anything stupid. But I've just gotten used to Chaos—and now this? An argument she supposed. But instead of voicing any of that, she remained quiet, her mind churning with the possibilities of the off-handed statement. "Three days?" Tasha blinked, rapidly. It was happening again. In an instant, her life was again about to change, and she knew not what lay ahead. She knew she should be worried, but instead she felt a thrill of excitement. Destiny. Greatness. These were the words she had grown up hearing from her dear Gram. Now Despil had added the word: Fortune. What lay in store for her in Amber? She could hardly wait to find out! "Who will be our escorts? Is one Lord Ingrey? He came for a visit some time ago..." Tasha hoped at least for one familiar face. Helena glanced at Tasha—that the Minister-Counselor had visited her, too, was an interesting bit of information—before returning her gaze to Despil. She said nothing, wanting to hear Despil's answer to Tasha's question. "Oh, I think we'll let that be a surprise," said Despil. "They should be here shortly. But Lord Ingrey ... what did you make of him?" "He seemed very nice," Tasha smiled, "He promised to teach me a new game... Chess... Have you heard of it?" "I have," Helena admitted, smiling at Tasha. "My mother taught it to me." "Really? Your mom plays games? Mine doesn't like games, at least not board games, as such. My Gram, though, she and I used to play games all the time, especially on moon-lit nights...." Tasha stopped suddenly as if realizing she was speaking too much. "I'm sorry... My mother says I tend to ramble when I'm nervous," Tasha blushed. "I understand," Helena said. "Nervousness is often a reaction to the unknown, such as we find in this situation," she continued, sounding very much like her stepfather Lord Torren. She turned her attention to Despil. "Despite repeated requests for information, my uncle is deflecting our questions—stalling, I imagine, until our two escorts arrive, which suggests to me that they don't know any more about the situation than we do and he plans to enlighten us all at once. "So, Uncle, would you care to tell us exactly what's going on now, or should we instead talk about the weather, the impressive view out your window, or perhaps even the latest fashions at court?" She smiled at Despil over the rim of her drink, but there was a growing flinty hardness in her eyes. He smiled back. "You over-estimate me, my dear niece," he said. "Like many others, I receive orders from my ... " He broke off, his eyes now somewhat unfocused. "I believe this must be our missing guests ... " There was a pause and then he spoke again. "Yes?" Helena drank as Despil concentrated on the incoming trump call, mentally filling in the missing word that he hadn't said. She had overestimated him—or perhaps that's only what he wished Mandor and them to think. For her part, Amba's attention was split—peripherally on Despil and his actions, but more focused on Helena as she worried her lip with her teeth, considering the other woman. Tasha practically bounced with excitement as she watched the waited for the arrival of the other guests. While she had taken the black road through shadow she had never seen a Trump in action before, so she wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but the other young women both seemed to be watching Despil intently, so she did as well. Despil stretched out his hand—and suddenly it was clear that he was grasping someone else's hand... And then suddenly there was someone else in the room, his hand clasped in Despil's—and his free hand holding on to that of a very young woman... "Go through," said Mandor to his brother. "I'll see you both later."
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