Battle For Dorothea
I had just left my cottage in Blackwood with Derek and started to summon a portal outside. I had said a tiny prayer to Aphrodite that we would make it before Blake sent his goons after Dorothea. I figured since she was the goddess who stood watch over Alexandra that she would do her best to help make it happen. Dorothea would have to help us if I saved her crabby skin from Blake. I was sure that whatever his intentions were for her weren’t very good. She didn’t particularly like anyone, but she really hated me. I wasn’t sure why, but I had always thought it had something to do with my mother. I had asked my mother about it before she passed away, but she just shrugged it off, “Nessa, I really don’t think that woman likes anyone. She’s just a bitter old woman.” I didn’t really think that was what it was, but I had decided at the time not to press her. My mother was calm and collected at all times, the very essence of elegant lady. She hid her emotions very well from everyone, unless you were her daughter who knew the tell on her. She had this vein that would creep out on her temple when she was pissed off. I had always made a game of seeing if I could prod that sucker to the surface, it was difficult too. She had so much patience and in many ways, Alexandra reminded me of her. She would always tell me that she should have called me something like Cat because I liked to play with my prey. Reggie would later say that he agreed with my mother when he had said it in her presence once. I had wondered if that was the person all of those around me saw me as. Just a cat-like woman who liked to mess with people.
I put those thoughts on hold when the portal was summoned. I looked at Derek, “Alright kiddo, you ready?” He pulled out his sword and nodded, “Whatever it takes for her.” I nodded satisfactorily and gestured for him to step into the portal. He went in and then I pulled in a sharp breath and stepped forward. Luckily, this portal led us to right in front of Dorothea’s door. It didn’t take her long to walk out with a readied fireball in her hand pointing it at Derek. She grunted when she caught the sight of me walking through, “You really shouldn’t have come here. Whatever it is, summon your stupid little portal and be gone or be extra crispy.” I pulled up my arms to signal that we came in peace, “Dorothea, dear, we are here to keep you safe. If you could just-“ She shot me a dirty look, “Save it Red, I’m not interested in anything you have to say. I don’t want to owe anybody anything.” I sighed, “Look, I’m sure you are aware of this but you’re on the Duke of Mesha’s radar for some reason and he is coming here to take you by force. We were told this in a message from the Grand Pretre.” She stifled the fireball in her hand, “That little shit, I already told him I don’t have anything to say to him. Why does he insist?” I puffed out the air I had been holding in, “So you do know. Why is he after you?” She turned and motioned us inside, “I was working for The Order not too long ago. I had heard what they were planning and left. That poor Batiste child is a grand tool for them it seems. Hopefully she can avoid their blades.” I was shocked that this crotchety old woman cared about anyone. She must’ve read it in my face because her next words were, “Alright Red, I’m not some woman who has it out for everyone. I knew her grandfather once upon a time and he’s one of the rare few who ever treated me with some care. Of course, I should care for that child.”
I sighed, “Well, it’s because of her that Blake is after you for information.” She stopped the tea making that she was going about in her kitchen and turned to me, “They got to her?” I nodded, “They tried but the King saved her from being killed.” Derek sighed next to me, “But he wasn’t able to save her from the poison from the arrow that grazed her cheek.” Her eyes widened, “They used the Primal potion I am guessing.” I nodded, “She attacked the young Chalshin here.” She glanced at his neck where the puncture marks still graced his skin then she looked down, “They forced me to make that one in order to leave The Order. I’m pissed it was deployed it on her.” She turned back to her tea making, “But wait, is that all the little shit wanted? I could have made him the antidote, no problem but he insisted on talking to me.” I shook my head, “I believe he wants revenge. He’s in love with Alexandra, has been pretty much all his life. He would torture, maim, beat, and kill for her anyone who would dare to harm her. I believe he wanted you to provide information on them.” She set the kettle to boil and turned to me, “So he’s sending his little toys to come kidnap me then. That is why you are here, to save me so that I may save Alexandra.” I hated to admit this was our only purpose here, but I didn’t want to lie to her, so I merely shook my head. I had waited for the tongue lashing that I was sure would come from her, she always had something rather cheeky to say to me. It had never come though, she merely nodded, “I understand. I will make your antidote as long as you two keep the goons at bay.”
Just as she had finished those words, Derek rose to his feet and pulled out his sword again. They are close, I can smell them. With that I strode to her front door and placed a charm on the handle and turned to her, “We will keep them busy while you make the potion for the girl.” She nodded, “I would like to deliver it to her personally after all this.” I nodded, “Fine.” I left out of the door and readied my fireball; I was very proficient in fire magic so anyone who tried to get in this house would definitely be extra crispy. The charm would keep a barrier around the entrances of the house in case they tried to sneak in through the window. Derek chuckled, “I can smell you both, you might as well come out from the shadows.” I heard a woman’s laugh, “Oh look, my love, they have a puppy. That’s so cute. Want to roll over for us and play dead boy?” He growled, “You first hag.” A man came out of the shadows with rage in his eyes, “You’ll dearly pay for calling my wife a hag, puppy. I am going to carve you up.” Derek laughed, “I’d love to see you try.” The man surged forward with a sword he had had on his back only moments ago. The woman stealthily appeared before me with a knife in her hand, “Whatcha going to do with this Miss Kitty?” I slyly answered, “Oh I don’t know. You want a tan?” She looked at me rather amused, “Only if you think you can catch me.”
Derek was already off to the side fighting with this woman’s husband when I had heard a grunt from one of the men. It didn’t sound like Derek, so I had assumed, without looking, that the goon had taken a blow from Derek’s sword. This distracted the woman momentarily enough for me to shoot off my fireball. Sadly, she had a quick reaction, but I grazed her side. She let out a small scream, “You’re going to regret that witch.” I narrowed my eyes at her, “Really? Because I really enjoyed myself.” She surged forward with her knife trying to cut me with it. I dodged and laughed at her. I had been grateful that I had packed my stealth bracelet, so my agility was up to snuff for this little battle. Derek spoke up, “Ms. Tannen, we have company coming. I could be wrong, but it smells like two and one of them is the Prince.” The woman smirked, “You’re screwed.” I clicked my tongue and shook my head, “I highly doubt that. When I tell him that not kidnapping this witch will save his beloved’s life, he’s going to stand down.” She shot me a dirty look, “You’re lying. Our queen is safe, we know this.” Their queen? What the hell? I had no time to think about what that meant because she was still coming at me.
Suddenly, we heard a loud voice from the darkness of the woods, “YOU WILL STAND DOWN. NOW!” The two goons tensed up and then put away their weapons and got on their knees. Blake stepped out of the woods with Panshad in tow. He looked at me, “I appreciate your message to me Vanessa. This would have been disastrous had we not received it. I apologize for these idiots. They didn’t follow orders.” The woman gasped, “But we did, Your Highness.” He shot her an angry glance, “Oh really? What of your Mesha stones? Did I or did I not tell you to make sure that I could contact you? Why in all of Vellum would I need to come out here to talk to you personally hm?” He pulled his hands behind his back and stared at her. She blushed under his gazed and pressed her forehead to the ground. Her husband spoke, “We forgot to go see Panshad?” Blake looked at the man incredulously, “Oh? So, you finally realized how much of an idiot you both are hm?” He pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to Panshad, “You can take these two to manor and they can report to the dungeon.” She nodded and the two rose to their feet and followed her through the portal she summoned.
He turned back to look at me and a tenderness melted onto his face, “How is she?” I sighed, “Well, I have her under a sleep spell using Sleeping Beauty’s Rose. She woke up briefly with the help of Pretre Jean and we assured her that we were doing all we could to ensure that she would wake up as herself again.” He paced in front of us and then looked at Derek with rage in his eyes, “You. Don’t touch her again unless it is to save her from The Order or any other threats.” Derek shrunk a little, if that was even possible. He was a giant standing next to me. Blake then turned to me, “May I return with you to Blackwood Deep?” I nodded, “I won’t stop you, Your Highness. Only…” He placed a hand on my shoulder, “Only?” I looked into his green eyes and said, “I am bringing Dorothea and you aren’t number one on her favorite people list right now.” He nodded, “Understandable, I have been relentless with her. I will make my apologies.” I looked off to the side and sighed, “You really don’t know her at all. Do you? She’s permanently angry, a simple apology will likely not be enough.” He laughed, “I gathered she was stubborn.”
I had heard a voice coming from Dorothea’s cottage, “Stubborn isn’t the half of it, you little shit. You owe me big time for what I’m going to do for you and for having to endure this bullshit.” He smacked his lip against his teeth, “You have a dirty mouth, old woman. Fine, I will owe you for helping my beloved in any way you can.” She walked towards him with an angry glare and pulled a book out of her skirt then handed it to him, “This is a journal of all my observations of The Order. I want to keep her safe as well, her family has been good to me, and I want to repay their kindness.” He gasped and then took it from her, “I will see to it that you are thoroughly rewarded for this information, old woman.”
