Petyr Abram's Story

The Kingdom of Coins
Petyr Abram





Gazing curiously at his reflection in a familiar mirror, Petyr collected himself as he prepared for the meeting.

It would be correct to state that this summons was unexpected, but nonetheless he drudge through the routine he has perfected over his years of service to the Kingdom.

Grooming his hair to frame his face, Petyr recited his age-old dance - the dance of first impressions.

A curt bow, a few small flattering words and a sharp smile is usually all that is required to win over his client, but this was no ordinary meeting.

Petyr remembered hearing from his father about dealings with the King before. He told him that, so long as you have something of value to her, you will have her ear - though it would be wise not to overstep your boundaries. Show respect, and respect will be given in turn should you deserve it.

Just how accurate his father's words were shall be revealed later, no doubt.

Adjusting his jacket, the Ace rose from his seat before the polished, pristine mirror in his study and prepared to leave the Abram Estate.

It didn't take a great deal of time for Petyr to weave his way through Scudo; it was always a city he knew well, and rightly so.

The lifeblood of Scudo, it's people, could be seen hurriedly making their way from place to place, much as Petyr was himself.

It was always very intriguing for the Ace to see so many lively, ambitious souls going about their business. It has always been far too easy to forget that there are, in fact, other people in the world.

Arriving at the gates, Petyr introduced himself to the Household guard with his infamous slick grin and a firm handshake. No words were needed for their exchange; they were both busy people, with much to accomplish before the sun set.

Within mere moments, Petyr found himself before the King of Coins.

Nothing could have prepared him for the torrent of emotions that burst forth at that moment, but he hid his awe and anxiety well, rising to full height before bowing deeply before his King.

"Your Majesty, it is a great honour to be brought before you this day," Petyr smiled as the words fell almost reflexively from his mouth. "Whatever your desire, my King, I shall do my upmost to fulfil it"

The King nodded; a half smile creaking across her face as her lips parted.

"Your reputation precedes you, young Abram. Your father and I had many dealings with one another. Already I can tell you are cut from the same fine cloth"

Petyr was overwhelmed by these words. Such praise from the most powerful woman in the Kingdom is never to be taken lightly. Almost stammering for a moment, Petyr calmed and composed himself.

"You honour me greatly, your Majesty. I shall do my upmost to prove I am worthy of it. Why is it you have summoned me here, my King? How may I further the prosperity of the Kingdom this day?"

Petyr exhaled deeply as the King paced to the left, towering over an ornate desk upon which sat a letter.

"It appears our representative within the Evil Eye will be returning to the Kingdom. We cannot afford to allow the other Kingdoms to gain a foothold there while we sit in darkness." The King remarked. "Therefore, as the Abram family have always served loyally, I am entrusting you with the task of travelling forth into this foreign realm, and acting on my behalf,"

Petyr blinked as he absorbed the information. This was a great honour, but also dangerous. If he were to succeed, he could garner great favour with the Crown. But if he failed...

No. There has never been room for failure.

"My King, I would be honoured to perform such a delicate and essential task for you. Under your rule, Scudo and indeed the Kingdom at large has seen much growth and prosperity. I am humbled to have been personally selected by the man I look up to most of all,"

Hook, line and sinker. Petyr has always been careful with his words; articulation is an art form, one he believes to have mastered. In this moment, he was certain to have won the King over enough to be assured that he was the right man for the job.

"Very good, Petyr. Ascend the steps and reach out through the gateway. You will find yourself in the location you are required at. Do not fail me,"

With an inclination of the head and a small muttering of thanks, Petyr stepped through the hall and up to the aforementioned gateway.

At the door stood another Household
Guard. He nodded firmly as he opened the door, permitting Petyr access...

Shock overtook him as he heard the “great Kingdom of Coins” representative step down from the call. He should have known off the back that she wasn’t prepared. She had this… Air about her. It wasn’t dangerous, of course, but it intrigued him - especially considering she didn’t seem perturbed from the Discord. But nonetheless, the disappointment set in. Just another set of questions that would never be answered. Great. Just great.

A clearing of the throat occurred behind him and he glanced over his shoulder at the King. She raised a brow, almost questioning him. Questioning his decision.

‘Are you fucking kidding me? You drag me here, I say I’m going to stay, then you question if I will be loyal to my word? You’re fucking joking, right?’

These comments, as well as ones he dared not reiterate, festered and burned in his mind, face turning into a snarl. How dare she question his word.

Hmphing, he turned away from her, arms crossed over his chest in a final fashion. “I remain as a member of the team, as is requested by my King.”

He mostly directed this comment to his King but it was also offered, passively of course, to any of the other members of this assignment who wondered if he could be switched out as well. Yes, he caused a fucking ruckus but at least he stayed loyal to the cause and would complete any assignment given to him to the best of his ability. And yes, he was a fucktard at times with a insatiable desire to brawl. And yes-

“Seven.”

Right. Discord.

While the Coins left, Servius remained silent. He… Did not trust his mouth to let out anything that was not snarky. His eyes moved over to examine a more curious being instead. The Fool. The being swung their legs to and fro, humming to themself. They seemed to enter into an almost friendly conversation with his King, though, she wasn’t very interested in it despite her formalities. The conversation dropped. Servius sighed to himself, glad to have kept the Discord at some con-

His eyes widened a bit as they met the Fool’s then moved away. His brow furrowed.

Did… The Fool just glare at him?

Before Servius could speak up again, in strutted another person from the Coins door. Servius looked him up and down and one phrase entered his mind.

‘Pampered poodle.’

The Fool grinned, clasping their hands. “Ah, there we are! Are you the representative of the Kingdom of Coins? Good! I am the Fool and these are the members of the other Kingdoms.” The ever smiling deity turned to each of them, expecting them to speak.

Servius cleared his throat, surly nodding at the new man. “Representative of Wands, Servius Lane. Glad you could make it.” All right, his last sentence was annoyed but why couldn’t he be. This guy took forever.

Freya was not surprised by Mona's departure, from the beginning she seemed nervous and unsure, which Freya could sympathise with. But they were here for a purpose greater than themselves, personal sympathies had no place here. As Mona was led out the room, and the King of Coins left to find a suitable replacement, a blanket of silence fell on the room.

She watched Servius pace, glare and generally act like a caged animal. The remaining kings murmered amongst themselves. The Fool seemed content grinning and lazily swinging his legs. She tried to think of something to alleviate her boredom but the room was painfully empty.

An idea flashed in her mind, she suddenly remembered her newspaper in her satchel from earlier that morning. The clock ticked as she read it cover to cover, this filled approximately 20 minutes. She then sighed and shifted in her chair. The room had been so alive with tension and emotion only an hour or so prior, now it seemed like an empty husk. She would give anything for a book to read or a decent conversational partner. She resorted to tearing the newspaper and folding it into decorative flowers, like how her mother taught her when they held gatherings.

By the time she heard a creak on the stairs and the door slowly opening she had an entire garden taking up her portion of the table. The door opened to reveal a rather self satisfied looking young man.

She sighed internally and thought "I realise time is of the essence, but surely the King of Coins could have taken slightly longer and not picked a common fop." , one glance at Servius indicated he was harbouring similar thoughts.

She stood up and nodded politely "Representative of Cups, Freya Adis. I look forward to working with you"

Y'nev watched with mild surprise, much disappointment, and a bit of self satisfaction as the woman named Mona excused herself from the room. Clearly not up to task. The warrior could not share such a silly sentiment. It was an honor being chosen, and it was a true offense to throw such an opportunity away. And for what? Feelings of doubt? Everyone had doubts before an obstacle, but she was never one to tarry from such a thing. The woman pursed her lips as she watched Mona depart, leaving her with her respective Liege, the other kinds, Servius, and Freya.

She watched the fool for a short while, the entity seemed entertained enough. How curious that it did not appear to be affecting them. Did they perhaps foresee that this would happen? She glanced at her King, who was muttering to Cups and every so often released a booming laugh that filled the silence of the room. She found she did not have a lot to say. Her displeasure could be better voiced without words, as it were. She paced away from Servius and decided to simply polish her weapon. It seemed the most relaxed way to pass the time in this odd "calm before the storm".

She glanced down at her hilt with some fondness, tracing her fingers over the scrawled signatures of her siblings. Of course her sister's was the biggest and bubbliest. But she cherished the smallest one, written so elegantly by her youngest brother. She was going to miss him the most. She felt a pang in her chest. She really wished she had enough time to say goodbye properly. She shook her head. Now wasn't the time for hesitance. Mona had displayed a stunning lack of conviction, and she wasn't about to follow suit.

After some time had gone by, she inspected her work proudly--yes, her weapon had such a fine sheen to it. Clearly one of the superior works of her second mother. She was about to sheath it when she heard approaching footsteps and she looked up. She noticed vaguely that Freya had made an entire bouquet of paper flowers around her and Y'nev bit back a slight chuckle. Fancy in a cute way. The footsteps got louder and Fool cheered practically in happiness--greeting the newcomer. The warrior narrowed her eyes, this one looked like the rich version of Servius. And she barely liked Wands as it was.

She pushed her weapon back in its casing and walked over towards her Liege, bowing towards the man. "Blessings be to the Silver Mother," She breathed out slowly. "I am Y'nev Amaren, representative of Swords." As if that wasn't obvious enough from the weapon she had just finished polishing. Her liege looked at her with passive disapproval, yes, that was a bit impolite coming from her. But could she be blamed? The last person from this kingdom had chickened out and this one didn't look overly impressive. Maybe she was a bit more foul tempered than usual, there was that biting sensation in her stomach again. She sighed.

She upturned her lips into a faint smile and swiveled her attention to Fool. "My Lord, I believe we are ready to proceed."

Passing through the Door of Coins, a sense of calm washed over Petyr as he was greeted by many new and interesting faces, each of which a fresh opportunity to further the prospects of his realm.

No doubt they were judging and examining him, trying to formulate a cohesive first impression as he was of them before any single party even dared part their lips. Of course they were. This was to be expected.

What wasn't to be expected, however, was The Fool. Despite his best efforts, Petyr could not read this... figure. It's face, a myriad of expressions and emotions all at once, dazzling the senses.

Ignoring this sensation for now seemed like the wisest course of action, Petyr told himself. He could not afford to appear confused before his peers.

Before Petyr could truly evaluate the situation, his concentration was broken as The Fool grinned, clasping their hands. “Ah, there we are! Are you the representative of the Kingdom of Coins? Good! I am the Fool and these are the members of the other Kingdoms.” The strange figure turned to each of the other individuals in the room. Was it expecting them to introduce themselves? Most likely. Petyr prepared himself, dusting down his cloak and smiling widely at the others.

It seemed a finely dressed man, older than Petyr himself, was the most confident of the group, approaching him first. Perhaps this man thought himself a leader. Clearing his throat, the man spoke.

“Representative of Wands, Servius Lane. Glad you could make it.”

“Naturally, Mr Lane. It is a pleasure to be here.” A classic line that rarely fails to please one's ears. Petyr was used to reciting this.

A dainty young woman with silvered hair was the next to approach.
She rose from her seating and nodded to him, opening her mouth to speak.

"Representative of Cups, Freya Adis. I look forward to working with you"

Naturally, Petyr inclined his head in respect for such a humble greeting to Freya. Simple, yet already sowing the seeds of unity. This one had a skilled, if somewhat unrefined tongue.

“I am certain we will achieve a great many things with our skills combined, Ms Adis”

Ensuring his words remained fresh was paramount to exuding eloquence in this first meeting. Remaining perceptive to the words of others would aid him well here. Petyr observed as a third individual sheathed their blade, addressing him after a curt bow to another.

This one's breath fell slowly from her lips just before greeting him. Frustration?

"I am Y'nev Amaren, representative of Swords."

“...and what a fine blade you do carry, Ms Amaren. It is a pleasure, truly”

Doing his utmost to ensure a positive reception may have not been enough here. How long have they been waiting on his arrival?

“I am Petyr Abram, Representative of Coins, as no doubt you have all been made aware. I understand there was another. My most sincere apologies on behalf of the Kingdom if you have been kept waiting, but we shall wait no longer.”

Y'new Amaren turned "My Lord, I believe we are ready to proceed."

“Yes,” Petyr nodded to The Fool, making direct eye contact with them since he first entered this strange domain.

“let us proceed.”

Servius examined the man as he spoke again. He better fucking apologize for the Coins. Choosing someone who would back off really fucking sucked for the rest of them. But he seemed like someone who’d get along with the other two despite his… Primp and proper appearance. Whatever. He could put up with it like the other shit he did.

One by one, the Fool allowed them to their reintroductions. Servius peered at the powerful being, their eyes carrying a strange light of confidence. He didn’t know why… But his Danger Sensor carried a stranger tone now. He never felt this before. Even he couldn’t describe it, after all his years… No. He could.

Highly dangerous but safe?

Whatever did that mean? Could it be him? Was it his general existence near the Fool? It had happened before around some people but… Such a thought almost shocked him into confused laughter. Him? Affect someone as mighty as the Omnipotent Fool? No, he shouldn’t think that way. He took a breath, awaiting the Fool’s command or guidance or whatever the fuck would happen now. How would they end up in such a far off place as the Human Realm? He almost laughed again. My, all this laughing and thinking. He couldn’t stand it. But he felt the glare of the King at the back of his head - high above her height but being looked down upon. Already he had caused enough trouble. He shouldn’t try instigating anything else from his inability to hold his tongue. But damn, when was the last time he had to do something of such importance? Not to mention, the backing out of the Coins representative should have been enough to change their view of him. He at least stayed! Still... He could almost smack himself for being such an idiot -

“Seven,” a voice called warningly behind him.

Right. Control the Discord.

The Fool grinned at each of them, clasping their hands together excitedly… and somewhat hurriedly. Apparently, they appeared impatient from the wait. “Wonderful! All four representatives! So wonderful. Well, we should be off then.” The being disappeared in a blink of an eye before appearing in front of a door. The Fool's door. With a great smile, they swung it open, a bright light blurring all view of any possible vision of the inside from their current locations. The Fool bowed, waving an arm to the entrance.

“Everyone in, please. Let’s get started on the mission.”

Servius stepped forward first. He didn’t know why but instead of being averted to it, his Danger Sensor drew him to it. A comforting feeling overtook him - one that overtook the calming warmth offered by the glowing stones and the embraces of ones who truly did care. He stepped first as a signal to the others. ‘It’s safe. Come.’ A sense of familiarity almost came over him. Why? He had never been here. Servius stepped through, the breath being stolen from him. He couldn’t believe what he saw, stunned to the point where the others had to push past him to enter. The door closed behind them.

As Freya stepped through the door she was overwhelmed with an aura that was like nothing she'd experienced beforce, not quite joy, fear, anticiation but a mixture, it was a strange chaotic feeling that made her quite uncomfortable.

The room was a complete mess, she had to duck and dive to avoid random flying objects. She'd experienced magic before but never on this scale. She felt completely out of her depth. She kept her eyes on the group, as strange a bunch as they may be, they were the only semblance of sanity in this room. Each footstep made her feel slightly queasy, as if she was on a swaying rope bridge.
The group seemed to be heading for the centre of the room so she kept her gaze fixated on the back of everyone's heads to quell the churning in her stomach.

It was finally beginning to set in that their mission had begun, the fates of two realms were on her shoulders, and she couldn't back out now. "Oh heavens, what have I let myself in for?"

Y'nev barely processed the greetings of their last occupant, her eyes flashing to the Fool as she was greeted by another familiar crooked smile. Really, they reveled in the chaos--she was none too fond of it. She was short, she was done waiting. Maybe this wasn't the best time for her patience to run so thin. But she could not help it. She wasn't sure about this new one, Petyr, but she didn't have time to question it. They were being beckoned and gestured into the doorway by their Enigmatic Summoner. And who was she to question Fool? She sighed, pinching her nose.

With her free hand, she gripped her claymore even tighter. it was the only sense of comfort. She shot a look over her shoulder, one more look at her Liege. She felt a tug, she felt some regret, she felt responsibility, she felt obligation. She had given her consent, she was a warrior. And if she did not hold her own, that would not be setting a proper example. She sighed again, eyelashes fluttering over towards the doorway. It was now or never, and she had to take the plunge. She tore her eyes away from her King--she took a step forwards, she took a deep breath. Yes, she was strong enough for this. She had been waiting for this, all her life. She had been chosen. Now it was time to make good on her courage.

The warrior entered through the doorway, feeling it close behind her. Sealing off the world she had known. She felt the ground leave her feet for a brief moment, there was a flourish, air rushing past her. She wasn't sure how the others were coping, but her eyes flashed a little bit at the exposure to magic. These winds did not feel anything like her own whatsoever. They were... different. She closed her eyes for an instant and when she re-opened them, she was floating gently down, touching the ground softly. She was about to make a comment when she felt her hair start to rise. One glance behind her and she could see her hair wildly floating about her, suspended in the air--almost as if she were under-water. How odd.

She followed the others to the center of the room. It did not feel like she needed to be on guard terribly but she still kept to herself slightly. The disorientation of the natural state of chaos was not an easy transition. With wide eyes, she observed the Fool. They seemed content to move about in their own space, excusing the mess for what it was. Laughable, surely that was only a pleasantry. She sat on one of the floating cushions, feeling herself slowly moving through space once she had relaxed. Once she got used to the disorder, the floating was almost... comforting. It reminded her of meditating.

She watched the Fool intently, not saying a word. Better to wait, impulsiveness was not the right action. Not right now.

Breaching the doorway, Petyr stood in awe of what he witnessed on the other side.
Chaos? Disorder? Nothing could describe the utter cacophony at work here.

When summoned by the King, never did he expect it would lead to... this. What even is this?
The Fool's work. Perhaps its time to pay more attention to it.

Before he could truly finish his musings, Petyr's train of thought was interrupted by the very subject of his pondering.
“Welcome to my abode! I must apologize, I had expected guests but I didn’t realize it was this messy before…”
The Fool chimed in, with their bizarre tone which Petyr could not quite pin down. Were they being facetious, or genuine?

Were they mocking him?

”...It's beautiful”

The words just fell out of Petyr's mouth; he couldn't contain them, nor could he deny them.
In a strange way, this room was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on.
He found his feet taking him blindly towards the center. Towards The Fool.

Perhaps answers will come in time.

Onward, the others moved but Servius remained stuck to his spot, shell shocked. A flurry of confusion and nostalgia slammed into him, scanning his mind for any sign of true memory of the place. He didn’t but… When did he not trust his instincts? His eyes glanced back at the door, closed and drifting from the path almost on instinct. There was no going back… Not that he cared, anyway. There was no one to go back to in his kingdom. And he had a job to accomplish. Yet… Something felt off.

Shaking his head, he continued onward, slightly perturbed but fascinated by the curling pathway the group tread, the Fool hoping out of vision from one angle and back in at another. He groaned slightly, arms crossed over his chest for a moment to show his distaste before letting them fall to his side. Despite his dislike for the almost plastic Coins representative, he had to agree... It was beautiful Toward the center they tread, Servius having to distastefully deal with more than a few flying objects as they drifted in the air and towards his face. But as angry as he got at such simple things, he felt… Calm. Why? He was so confused at this sense of… Comfort? Control? Satisfaction? He didn’t know. Everything felt so new around the Fool. He couldn’t understand the half of it.

At the center, they came to a pause. Servius noted the cushions flying toward them. He glanced at the Swords member, watching her easily mount a cushion and relax. Servius sighed, grabbing one and fumbling into it after a moment or two. He acted with less discretion than he liked, causing his lips to form an even sourer expression than usual. After all, the rest of the group probably already saw him as a nuisance if anything. He folded his legs in, eyes widening when it began to overturn. Fingers gripped into the cushion as the four beings in front of him turned upside down. Grimacing, he tugged at one side, hoping to make it go upright. Nothing. To save face, he crossed his hands over his chest and floated, upside down in front of the lot of them.

The Fool, however, saw other plans. The being chuckled, wandering over and righting Servius without a word and then appearing and disappearing throughout the room, bringing cushions to the other two who still remained standing. Upon coming across Freya, the Fool gave a bright smile.

“I’ll make sure to explain all of it clearly to you in just a moment! After all, I won’t want you to go in there unprepared. At least, as much as the rest of you.”

They hopped onto a cushion of their own, legs folded to reside on their hips as they waited for the rest to get comfortable. Their hidden eyes appeared to close behind the mask, hands on their lap, chest rising for a calm, clear breath and than exhaling again, as if the air in the Evil Eye had been much too stuffy for their comfort. Servius continued to eye the… “benevolent being,” unsure how exactly to deal with these mixed warning signs still residing within him.

“Please listen to every word and instruction I say. This is crucial to your survival as well as the survival of this dimension.” Shivers travelled up Servius’s spine at the start of the Major Arcana Card’s words. They had a different tone now, one contrasting greatly to the picture that had been offered to them in the Evil Eye in front of the Kings. Was it the air of the room? Was it their presences? Whatever it was, it caught his attention enough to have him on edge… Possibly at the danger the words said would cost lives? Most likely…

“As you all should have been taught since childhood, the Major Arcana caused great change in the Human Realm, causing chaos such as this. However, with such a great amount of power comes a great amount of corruption. As the Major Arcana’s power grew, the Human Realm fell into deeper turmoil. I, along with the Minor Arcana representatives, sealed the Major Arcana into cards and then created the Land of Evil Eye, separating the Minor Arcana so they too would not gain enough power to grow corrupt - as is the order of things. This story has been morphed to your kingdoms by their beliefs and interpretations. I, however, have told you the facts that remain true to me in my old, old age.”

“The Human Realm we speak of has, in the absence of magic, advanced greatly. There will be objects and tools you have never seen before. Attires that bring to question how our worlds are related. Mannerisms that have developed at the eras split apart from this dimension and that realm. Magic, in their world, is nearly gone save one area. The Major Arcana that have escaped can reside only there, gaining strength until they can come back and swallow up the magic of the Land of Evil Eye. You, in turn, can also only remain there. If you leave this area’s boundaries, your magic will fade immediately. Five breaths in and out is the period it will take for you to disappear into nothing. You must find these boundaries and never cross them.”

“In the Human Realm, you will seal twenty one cards. The names of these cards have been hidden from you since childhood but will be revealed to you once entering the Human Realm. Your tools of the Minor Arcana will be found on your being the moment you are fully awakened the Human Realm. You will be offered a book to help identify what each Major Arcana does as well as have a mentor, whether they know so or not. You will also be provided a box to keep these cards in and prevent them from activating once more.”

That said, the Fool jumped off their cushion serenely. They drifted down into the floor and then back up, a small book and box in their hands. They nodded to the four, offering the tools.

“Are there any more questions? If not, I can send you straight into the Human Realm as we speak.”

“I have a question,” Servius spoke up, surprising himself. The Fool’s eyes focused on him and he felt… Aware of himself. He sat up tall in the… Strangely concentrated gaze. Taking a deep breath, he asked.

“Do we have to use the enchantment?” Thinking about having to cry out that ridiculous phrase horrified him, especially in such a serious situation. “The… It went like… ‘In the name of the Evil Eye, be cast to’ - hm?!”

A hand went over his mouth. His eyes stared at the Fool who appeared to be glaring straight at him. “I prefer you don’t say the sealing words around me. Even without the tools of the Minor Arcana, words can have powers.” The hand pulled away. “Yes, you will have to use that phrase when sealing the cards. As for the tools of the Minor Arcana, they are the tools of your Suits.” They nodded to each in turn. “Swords, a saber. Cups, a mirror. Coins, a shield. Wands, a staff. Each are useful in their own way and I assure you, you will need to use all of them to the best of your abilities.”

Y'nev sat quietly and calmly on her cushion, watching the Wands struggle to sit on his. She actually felt the inclination to snort at this, it was so ridiculously clumsy. She kept her poker face, watching as he floated upside down almost indignantly. She would have offered to help him (for she couldn't continue this conversation seriously with him hanging like that) when the Fool adjusted him quite easily. She re-positioned herself, placing her weapon horizontally across her lap as more cushions were pushed towards the other two group members.

She listened closely as the Fool took their seat, delicately telling them the details of this new world. How bizarre... a world devoid of magic? A world devoid of so many things that she had come to understand... She had a wonder for their culture differences. Were the humans there going to be different? Were they even human to begin with? Or had they mutated without magic in their culture? No, that wasn't an accurate thought, mutations didn't occur that quickly... Though come to think of it, how long had it been that their worlds had been separated? She quietly mused after it, glancing a bit at Fool--almost biting her tongue. She didn't really care to ask after their age, it was irrelevant.

As the spiel came to an end, she rubbed her chin a bit and took a deep breath. "These relics, do they contain any special properties?" She curiously wondered after the mirror, as it did not seem like it would be very useful in the midst of battle... but then again, that was her field. Her territory. She was here to defend them more than likely. So maybe she'd be the only one needing a weapon...

"And... are our... our current abilities are up to snuff, yes? We will not be requiring anything further?" This was all coming along so fast--and she felt her heart speed a bit. The Fool had offered to transport them so soon, so immediately, and it was hard to put a voice to all her concerns, her questions. Yet one would not guess it by looking at her face, which remained stony and stoic.

She almost half-hoped one of the others would voice some of her concerns--she wasn't over-fond of questions to begin with. She fell silent as she stared at Fool, folding her arms across her chest. She wasn't used to this feeling of hesitance and she didn't plan on getting used to it. Answers, answers would make her feel better. So she would wait.