Planning
Herald Michael and his Companion Herbert walked swiftly up the street. It was a race to be sure, but public image was important and having a Herald and Companion flying straight to the castle would alert any nearby citizens still out at this time of night that something was up. If the wrong person connected the location they were coming from to the event that would unfold in the morning, then his informant Tamoe would be at risk. So they walked. Swiftly.
The roads in Gryphon Heights spiraled around the base of a hill. The hill itself housed manors and villas of the upper middle class, lower wealthy, and wealthy in quiet neighborhoods. They were decent and modest and as you went up the hill, they became more expansive: in building, lawn, and once there were walls then those too. Several main roads fanned out from the gate of the palace grounds out in all directions. Along the way were check points where walls and their gates were outgrown. Though the guard stationed along the way were watching, if they were planning on stopping anyone it wouldn't be a Herald or a Companion.
Reaching the palace grounds at the top of the hill, they entered within the walls and made more obvious haste. Not to the stables, Heralds College, or the Companions field as would have been normal, but to the castle itself. Avoiding the front, they went around the side. Taking flight to bypass the gardens and numerous paths, they eventually came to the secluded porch on the backside the was not reachable unless by flight.
Landing with a thud on the solid stone, Herald Michael reached back with am arm to assist Tamoe down. Herbert knelt quickly so that her decent wasn't nearly as far. Still, Michael noticed the twinge of pain on her face as she landed. Born a street urchin and growing up in a gang of children who robbed homes via rooftop, she was used to hard landings. But there was no way around how high up a gryphon could be, and it had been several years since she and a few others had been rescued from their gang handler (a cruel man but that is another story for another day) and in time recruited by the Crown.
Herald Michael swiftly followed, his boots designed for both endurance and comfort Heralds faced daily, and landed beside Herbert. Herbert mind spoke as he prepared to take off, "Talk with the King's Own. The Queen is also coming. I'll be in the Companions field. Our counsel is not far and already we have an emergency meeting ourselves. The King's Own and his Companion will keep our groups informed." Turning, he nuzzled his beak gently against Michael's cheek. "Our part is done, the rest really does depend on the Queen." With a returned affectionate pat by Michael, Herbert took off and disappeared into the night. However, Michael could feel Herbert still watching carefully in the back of his mind.
Michael turned and hurried inside. It was a parlor designed to entertain guests, including gryphons, and was strangely empty without one in the room. Still this was where they were meeting and it was as reclusive as one might wish for in a castle. Walking to the nearby table that Tamoe had already settled at, he nodded to her to eat. The refreshments there would do them both good as they had not had a bite to eat since lunch.
The coolness of the night was broken by the brisk footsteps. The King's Own and the Queen entered the room and hurried over to join them. Plans had already been started, but now was the time to finalize them. If all went well, there would be no bloodshed, pesky squabbles would be put to rest, and two families that had been giving politics a bad name would be banished from the capital for a good ten years.
The roads in Gryphon Heights spiraled around the base of a hill. The hill itself housed manors and villas of the upper middle class, lower wealthy, and wealthy in quiet neighborhoods. They were decent and modest and as you went up the hill, they became more expansive: in building, lawn, and once there were walls then those too. Several main roads fanned out from the gate of the palace grounds out in all directions. Along the way were check points where walls and their gates were outgrown. Though the guard stationed along the way were watching, if they were planning on stopping anyone it wouldn't be a Herald or a Companion.
Reaching the palace grounds at the top of the hill, they entered within the walls and made more obvious haste. Not to the stables, Heralds College, or the Companions field as would have been normal, but to the castle itself. Avoiding the front, they went around the side. Taking flight to bypass the gardens and numerous paths, they eventually came to the secluded porch on the backside the was not reachable unless by flight.
Landing with a thud on the solid stone, Herald Michael reached back with am arm to assist Tamoe down. Herbert knelt quickly so that her decent wasn't nearly as far. Still, Michael noticed the twinge of pain on her face as she landed. Born a street urchin and growing up in a gang of children who robbed homes via rooftop, she was used to hard landings. But there was no way around how high up a gryphon could be, and it had been several years since she and a few others had been rescued from their gang handler (a cruel man but that is another story for another day) and in time recruited by the Crown.
Herald Michael swiftly followed, his boots designed for both endurance and comfort Heralds faced daily, and landed beside Herbert. Herbert mind spoke as he prepared to take off, "Talk with the King's Own. The Queen is also coming. I'll be in the Companions field. Our counsel is not far and already we have an emergency meeting ourselves. The King's Own and his Companion will keep our groups informed." Turning, he nuzzled his beak gently against Michael's cheek. "Our part is done, the rest really does depend on the Queen." With a returned affectionate pat by Michael, Herbert took off and disappeared into the night. However, Michael could feel Herbert still watching carefully in the back of his mind.
Michael turned and hurried inside. It was a parlor designed to entertain guests, including gryphons, and was strangely empty without one in the room. Still this was where they were meeting and it was as reclusive as one might wish for in a castle. Walking to the nearby table that Tamoe had already settled at, he nodded to her to eat. The refreshments there would do them both good as they had not had a bite to eat since lunch.
The coolness of the night was broken by the brisk footsteps. The King's Own and the Queen entered the room and hurried over to join them. Plans had already been started, but now was the time to finalize them. If all went well, there would be no bloodshed, pesky squabbles would be put to rest, and two families that had been giving politics a bad name would be banished from the capital for a good ten years.
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