A Slow Boat to Argent

The ongoing tale of William, Son of Finndo of Amber and Ophelia of Rebma, and of the Line of Barimen in the Courts of Chaos.

25th Leviathan (Serpent in the Dworkin calendar), 3658 – late afternoon

Amber(?) at Last!

We stand on the shores of something like Amber, at the monument to Eric ByBlow’s mother. It is perhaps a couple of hours until dusk. The monument reflects the cliff and the sand – black and silver. The cliffs hide any sight of Kolvir and Castle Amber and, if the sun can be trusted, we are looking along the coastline facing west into the sun, rather than north towards Kolvir. More and more proof that we are not in Amber!

Constance asks if any here can fly and Tajal nods, flexing to start changing shape. Sorashi moves behind some fallen rocks to strip her clothing in private and starts changing also. We set guards up and down the beach until their reconnoitre has finished.

While they are flying, Constance tries to contact someone using her Trump cards. I peer over her shoulder and it looks like Gerard, one of our uncles. She then starts speaking and asks him if he recognises Faiella-Bionin, which he does not.

Tetra sends groups of her troops each way along the beach, looking for a way up the cliffs, keeping a small reserve with her. Constance concentrates on her magics, and I try again to bring the Pattern to mind, which is harder than it was earlier today, perhaps intimating that we are closer to the real Pattern than we were. To test this, I walk up and down, trying to repeat Benedict’s summoning of a flower through walking through Shadows. After ten minutes, I pause. This is significantly more difficult than it was at Ygg, though that is perhaps the drag of the Rebman Pattern rather than Amber’s.

Gradlon interrupts. The ground forces have found a scramble up the cliffs, perhaps a couple of hundred yards towards the east. We determine to try a climb, as at least we will have an idea of the top of the cliffs. I draw a large arrow in the sand, and Tetra leaves four guards at the head of the stair. As we contemplate the climb, Sorashi trumps Constance and brings us through to the edge of the marsh at the top of the cliffs. I give Sorashi her boots and ready myself as the others come through after me.

Once we are all sorted we start walking towards what Sorashi says is a large town, through the arable land. First we find a village, that we later find out is called Grasmere, due to its proximity to the marsh. There is what looks like an Amberite church of the Unicorn at the centre. As we head towards it, peasants are coming in from the fields, and we notice that they are staring somewhat, as we make somewhat of a picture. We’re all dripping wet, and most of the Rebmans are mostly naked. Constance and I, as the most normal looking representatives, both hail them in Thari, which causes them all to back off, and one to make a run for the church.

As we approach, two figures emerge from the church – one the person we saw running. The other looks priestly, and clutches at what is probably an amulet of the Unicorn. Constance speaks some words of ritual to him, and he responds, though his Thari accent and dialect are very different to mine. The crowd around him murmur unhappily about us – from the words used, we are mostly dressed inappropriately – the Rebmans especially, but also Sorashi and Constance – because they are wearing trousers, from what I can understand.

We ask where we are, and to whom this village pays fealty. The priest tells us the names – there is a local lord, Graham de Montmorency, who pays fealty to the King of Argent, but when pressed for the King’s name, he looks nonplussed. He is clear that the King’s representative is Cardinal De Mazarin, until the King’s return. He knows of “Amber that is lost” but it is a myth to him. The forest we have come from is the Ardennes, and there is a warden who guards against the forest.

We withdraw from the village, then Tajal and Sorashi shift form and fly towards a copse of trees half way to the town. Once they land, Sorashi trumps Constance and we shift through and I start making the camp as comfortable as is possible while Constance finds a deer and we eat.

As we do, Nerine uses a mirror to talk to Llewella – they discuss clothes and probity and she starts passing more Amber appropriate clothing through to us. We discuss contacting the Amber army to get sufficient clothes through for Tetra’s guards and Sorashi gets some from Deirdre.

26th Leviathan (Serpent in the Dworkin calendar), 3658

The night passes without incident and we gather for breakfast. Constance tells us of a dream she has had of the city of Amber, a dream that she has had more than once. It is being invaded by silver balloons that float in the air, with iron spikes as weapons falling to the floor. We discuss our plans – we are to approach the city and see if we can find out more, including if it is possible to manipulate Shadow as we get closer.

We head towards the town, seeing a sign for Haven – presumably the name of the port. We intermittently try to manipulate Pattern but even Constance isn’t able to do much. We make our way through the town into the docks, hoping to see if we can make our way to the city in some way.

Quickly we see signs for passage to Rune and Argent, with Argent being more expensive and further away. For the seventeen of us, we will need to commission a boat. Constance asks if airships can be commissioned in Argent, and the agent says yes.

Nerine contacts Llewella, and Constance contacts Bleys. Both supply gold and jewels so that we can barter for passage. We find a merchant who will buy the jewellery from us in local coin. We use that to buy passage, and while the boat is being set up we purchase provisions.

Once all is ready, we take our places in the boat and head up the river. We chatter with the Captain, mostly through Constance, but I prick up my ears when he talks about the fleet being out to dissuade ‘enemies’. The conversation continues until we reach the docks outside Argent.

We take what Constance calls an omnibus – a coach that stops everywhere – into the city. Constance tells us that we are in the city of her dreams – down to the filigree towers and certain buildings.

We check into an inn, and rest.