1) The Keystone
September 15, 1066
Dunbar County
Dunbar City
The wind howled its low, slow moan, sending a shiver down Eldraed's spine. Rain pattered his dark wool cloak, the constant feeling of water pressing against his clothing and skin keeping him from falling asleep or dosing off. He coughed quietly, patting the side of Baromir's neck, a subsequent neigh escaping from the stallion's maw. The hooves of the beast echoed like a glass shattering on cobblestone through the dark, quiet night, each step sounding like a legion of trumpets in the ears of Eldraed. Of course, the steps were very quiet and unintrusive to people's business that they would stop what they were doing and look, but nevertheless it seemed like Eldraed was sending a message to everyone around him that he was out and about. Eldraed shook his head, his nerves were getting the better of him; only few knew he was gone, and even fewer knew where he was going or why. No one would recognize him anyway, he never was one for the public eye.
The cobblestone pavement of Dunbar gradually gave way to the soft, muddy mesh of grass and dirt as Eldraed led Baromir out of the city. Eldraed had been visiting his good friend Bishop Aethelbald in Tyninghame the day prior, to see how the studies and religious upholding of Christendom were doing in the county. Of course, this had been a guise for his real reason for visiting Dunbar. Even so, Bishop Aethelbald had been ecstatic to see Eldraed there. He gave a long and over-zealous service of how Christ would show Eldraed the way in leading Dunbar to a brighter tomorrow, and offered the night's donations to the Church to Eldraed. Eldraed saw it as a test, as many things were with Bishop Aethelbald, and kindly declined the offer. He could see a twinge of disappointment in the Bishop's eye, but ignored it.
Baromir sneezed louder than Eldraed would have liked, sending his thoughts back into the moment at which he was in. Looking around, he sought to find the large boulder that Aethelreda had described to him. It was a marker to let Eldraed know he was going in the right direction, and that he was moments away from the Blue Dragon Inn. It was an inconspicuous tavern located on the eastern outskirts of Dunbar that wouldn't attract much attention and subsequently wouldn't have many folk in it. The last thing Eldraed needed was a commoner getting wind of his plans. That would spell disaster before it was even set in motion, and that simply would not do at all. looking towards the left of the treeline on the side of the path, Eldraed saw a large gray weather-eroded rock jutting out of the ground. It looked out of place within the other scenery, the lush trees and shrubberies giving way to an ever-expanding forest, yet here was a large boulder sitting contently among the foliage. Quaint.
The only way Eldraed could have seen the boulder at this time of night was due to the full moon peering down at him from its perch in the sky. The clouds often blotted out the moonlight, but nevertheless it had shone brightly at the moment Eldraed had needed it to, and he took it as a good omen for the night to come. Now that he had reached the first marker, he knew that he was relatively close to his objective. Eldraed snapped the reigns and sent Baromir into a light jog, feeling the wind catch the back of his cloak, the rain whipping at his face. The sounds of the hooves coming down on the moist dirt increased, but so did Eldraed's speed, leaving only his shadow in his wake. Eldraed could feel large droplets of water falling from the brow of his hood, splashing on his brow and nose. After galloping for not very long, Eldraed saw the faint glow of a small hut over the horizon; the Blue Dragon Inn.
Slowing his pace, he approached the Blue Dragon as any traveler would, inconspicuously and simply looking for shelter to wait out the storm. Riding up to the stables adjacent to the Inn itself, he tossed a stableboy a silver coin and hopped down from his perch on the saddle. Feeling his boot sink slightly in the mud of the stable, Eldraed shook it off with a twitch of his ankle. Walking around the front of the building, he clutched the metal clasp and opened the door, stepping inside swiftly and quietly. Slowly lowering his hood down the back of his head, Eldraed took note of what was going on in the tavern. A wench was laying across a table being tickled and touched by some fat bearded men, while others were serving ale and mead. Others were sitting around a large fire that kept out the cold, whilst still others were gambling in a far corner of the room. Peering around the room for a second or two, Eldraed spied who he had come here to see.
Aethelreda was sitting with her back towards him in a dark corner of the tavern, inconspicuous to anyone not looking for her, and yet blatantly obvious to the trained eye. Walking over at a moderate pace, Eldraed scoped out her body language. She was sitting straight and firm, though he could tell about her head movements that there was a slight twinge of nervousness about her. Why, he could probably assume on his own, though he never did like assuming things. As he walked past her on the right side, he calmly and quietly said, "Aethelreda." He noticed from the corner of his eye that she looked up at him, verifying that it was indeed Eldraed. As Eldraed sat down across from her, she smiled faintly.
"It's good to see you, Eldraed." She looked at him innocently, almost trying to mask a deeper and darker emotion.
"As it is you, Aethelreda."
"You're a bit late, you know."
"Is my puncuality truly that important to you? Or do you simply wish to give me strife?"
"You know I wouldn't do that to you, Eldraed. Besides, we have business to conduct - do we not?"
"Aye, we do."
"So let's get it done then, hmm?"
"Are you chastising me?"
"Now why ever would I do that?"
"You'd best hold your tongue, woman. If you know what's best."
"I'm a woman, Eldraed. We don't know much of anything, dontchyaknow."
"Gah." Eldraed spat into a mug sitting on the table. "Let's get on with it, then."
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Aye, I'm sure."
"Very well. If you really want to do this, you need to get rid of the Northumberland claims on Teviotdale and Cumberland. If not, they'll be a recurring neussance."
"How might I go about that?"
"Kill them? Marry into the county? That's up to you."
"Aye. What else?"
"Butter up some of the other Dukes, you'll need support."
"You say that like I don't already know."
"Frack you. You're the one that called me here."
"Shut your trap. Is there anything important you have for me?"
"I'm in the beginning stages of creating a spy network in Northumberland."
"That's what I like to hear. Good, good."
"They're not very fond of you, Eldraed. I'd be wary."
"I'm too proud to be wary, Aethelred."
"You wanted my insight on something else, correct? Something you wouldn't specify in the letter."
"Yes. I want to know your opinion on a plot to depart our beloved Earl Malcom of Clydesdale."
"Why would you want to do that?"
"I'm the heir to his land, and he is only granting me about half his levies as of now. Levies that I will undoubtedly need."
"True... You have my backings, then."
"Good. I will surely need it."
Patriots Rise [AAR]
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