Lost and Found - Niamh & Sandrine

[Niamh mac Igrainne]

I'd only been in the City a few days when trouble found me. Not surprisingly, it had to do with Oisin, my constant companion since I had rescued him that day in the forest from certain death. He was beautiful, silver and black, strong and intelligent. He was loyal and well-behaved, but one had only to look at him to see that he was a wild animal at heart.

I had decided to go exploring and had of course brought Oisin along. I stopped at a bar where no matter what manner of persuasion I tried, the barkeep would not allow him in. I instructed him to wait in the stables, but upon my exit he was nowhere to be found.

Worried, I called and whistled for him, earning me odd looks from the locals. I knew I was an odd sight - a woman in breeches and a fur cape, my long red-gold hair loose with several braids interwoven with my curls. I wore no open weapon, but I was trained in hand-to-hand combat, and I did have several knives secreted about my person. I liked to think that one could tell just by looking at me that I was dangerous, but I suppose that was something of a conceit on my part.

I began to wander the streets and alleys of this place called Night's Doorstep, calling for Oisin and stopping strangers to ask if they had seen him. As the sun crawled across the sky and the afternoon began to wane, I felt a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. What could have happened to him?

[Sandrine nó Orchis]

Ever since finishing my marque, I lacked a sense of purpose. Sure, I could take more patrons, but my back was still sore, and it didn't behoove a Servant of Naamah to serve injured. I did not want to damage the delicate and expensive art.

Instead I had taken to wandering the streets, specifically Night's Doorstep, occasionally playing a card game or losing at drinking contests. I knew I would find something else to do with my life. I knew that I would have to start working again, or risk not having enough money for our trip. If it ever happened.

It was starting to get dark and cold, and I was considering if I wanted to duck into a disreputable bar or just go home, when all of a sudden I heard a commotion. I turned the corner to see the biggest dog ever jumping around the butcher's booth, yipping at the butcher's heels. The butcher, a short-tempered man under the best circumstances, was very close to his breaking point.

"Oy!" I shouted, running over to the booth, "leave that dog alone!"

The butcher looked at me incredulously. "That ain't a dog, miss. That's a wolf, and he's trying to steal my meat!"

The wolf turned to me, tongue lolling out of his mouth. I didn't have much experience with animals besides eating them, but it looked as if he was smiling at me. I wondered briefly how the butcher knew the wolf was male.

"Uh...nice wolfie?"

Without warning, he jumped on me, knocking me down and licking my face. I cried out in surprise and pain. The feeling was rather unexpected and somewhat unpleasant, but he was far too heavy to push off. The butcher tried once, but finally decided to gather his wares and leave.

Finally the wolf backed off me, panting softly. I sat up, considering my new best friend. "Where did you come from, grand loup?" I asked, stroking his thick fur. "You might just be a bigger troublemaker than I am."

I tried to wipe my face with the back of my hand. I was going to take a nice hot bath when I got home. "Hungry, grand loup?" I asked, gingerly getting up. "Let's find you something to eat."

[Niamh mac Igrainne]

I was about to give in to tears - highly unlike me, but Oisin was like kin - when I turned a corner and almost ran into a disgruntled shopkeep waddling away with his wares. He was muttering something about "disgusting, dirty animals" and hope rose in my heart. I pushed past him, earning a curse for "filthy foreigners", and then skidded to a stop.

There was Oisin all right, and he appeared to have found a new friend. A woman, dark skinned with black hair that was curlier than mine by far. He was sitting placidly at her feet, tongue lolling out as he regarded her.

"Oisin!" I exclaimed, rushing forward and dropping to my knees before him. He rewarded me by licking my face and ears copiously, but for once I did not mind. Thinking that I had lost him had been awful! Finally, I pushed his snout aside and looked up at his rescuer.

"Thank you for taking care of him," I said, rising to my feet smoothly. "He can be quite the troublemaker when he takes it in his mind to be."

[Sandrine nó Orchis]

I took my eyes off of the grand loup to see a woman walk toward me. She looked like a warrior, strong and confident.

She reminded me of my Faoloan. Gods, I missed her.

I watched the wolf greet his mistress with the same enthusiasm that he met me with. I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not sure who took care of who, my lady," I said. "Though I did save him from a nasty encounter with a butcher knife."

I reached down to try and help her up. "My name is Sandrine nó Orchis, miscreant and mischief-maker. I've already met Oisin. Who might you be?"

[Niamh mac Igrainne]

I took her hand out of politeness, though I little needed the assistance.

"Well, for that I do thank you," I said, thinking on that disagreeable butcher I had passed. I didn't know all of the laws of this country, but I would have put a knife through the throat of any man who harmed a hair on Oisin's head.

"I am Niamh mac Igrainne, of Innisclan." I laughed at the way classified herself, and I had to admit that I could call myself the same. "I too have been known by those names in the past." And likely would be again.

"Orchis?" I said, thinking about what I knew of Terre d'Ange. "You are a Servant of Naamah, is that the right words?" I asked, curious about her and her profession.

[Sandrine nó Orchis]

"Niamh mac Ingrainne," I repeated slowly. "Of Innisclain. That's a mouthful."

I reached down to scratch Oisin behind the ears. "And if you and I share those names, then I am sure we will get along famously."

I nodded when she asked me about my name. "I am a Servant of Naamah. You're very well studied." A slow smile crossed my face. "What would you like to know about it?"

[Niamh mac Igrainne]

I agreed with her immediately - I thought that we could be friends. It may have been soon, but I always knew right away if I liked someone or not. Of course, whether or not they liked me might be another matter, but it was one with which I did not generally concern myself.

"If Oisin likes you, then you must be a good person," I declared, smiling fondly down at him, then looking back up to Sandrine. "What would I like to know..." I mused, then laughed softly. "Everything? I have done some study of the Night Court, but it still seems odd to me, that one can go there and spend coin on ..." here I faltered, my cheeks flushing slightly. "On... well, you know..."

[Sandrine nó Orchis]

I blushed at her assessment. Well, people had liked me for stranger reasons, I supposed.

"Everything, eh?" I said, trying to seem nonchalant. In all seriousness I loved what I did and I liked to share it. In any way possible, of course. "Well, it's simple. All Servants of Naamah serve our goddess by loving others. Each House...there are twelve...expresses itself in different ways. I, for example, am Orchis, and therefore I serve Namaah and my patrons with laughter and fun. Others use their perfection or their strong sense of dignity or even music and dance." I reached down to stroke Oisin's thick fur again. "One such as yourself who is interested in experiencing a Servant of Naamah need only go to the house of their choice and find a Servant to their liking."

I cocked my head to the side. "Does that make sense? Or did I speak too fast?"

[Niamh mac Igrainne]

"No, I understand," I said, tapping a finger against my lips. "A House of my choice? I know there are different Houses, and you are Orchis, which expresses itself with laughter and fun ... what are the others?" If I was going to spend my coin on such things, I should like to make an informed decision. I knew I should know these things, and the names of Houses flitted through my mind, but it was something I had not heeded in my D'Angeline studies, so the only things that I could picture were flowers of various sorts.

[Sandrine nó Orchis]

"Bah," I said, with a wave of my hand. "Most of the other houses are stuffy or boring. At least, to me." I shrugged. If she was going to spend her coin anywhere, I would prefer it be in Orchis. "But, if you insist..."

I ticked them off on my fingers as I walked in a circle around her. "There is Alyssum, the house of modesty; Balm, the house of rest and compassion; Byrony, a house of games and gambling; Camellia, full to the brim with perfectionists, that one; Cereus, the house that reminds us all of how fleeting beauty is; Dahlia, full of pomposity and regality; Eglantine, where our finest musicians and players are fostered; Gentian, reeking of mystics and the heady perfume of incense; Heliotrope, where they will love you with all the love of anyone who has ever loved before; Jasmine, the home of exotics and sensuality beyond your imagining; finally Mandrake and Valerian, where you will cower under the whip of a true sadist or where a true masochist will cower under your whip."

"And, of course, there's Orchis," I said, coming to a stop in front of her. I smiled broadly. "Which is only the best house on Mont Nuit."

I fanned myself lightly. "Whew, that's hard work. I know more about some houses than others, but if you have any specific questions, you can try me."

[Niamh mac Igrainne]

I listened to her, finding that most of the Houses did not seem of interest to me, with the exception of Orchis - who didn't like fun? - and one other.

"Bryony?" I asked, grinning. "Games and gambling, that sounds fun. It seems that your houses are similar in that way?" I hoped that she would not find the observation offensive; I did not know what, if any, type of rivalry existed between the Houses on Mont Nuit.

[Sandrine nó Orchis]

I chuckled softly. "They are. In fact, before I found my rightful home, I was fostered in Byrony for some time. The main difference is that in Orchis we play for sport, and in Byrony their main focus is gold. If you don't mind the chance of losing your shirt, Byrony can be quite enjoyable. They play to win, though."

I shrugged non-noncommittally. "Fun, but deadly."

[Niamh mac Igrainne]

I liked the idea of that - "fun, but deadly." It implied an element of risk that seemed to be severely lacking in the City of Elua. "I don't mind losing a bit of coin," I said with a grin, "but I think if I were to go I would need a guide. Someone who knows the ways of the Night Court."

I thought I was being obvious enough for her to get the hint and offer to come along, so I just stopped and stared at her expectantly.

[Sandrine nó Orchis]

Her implication was clear, but I looked around for a few moments before pointing at myself. "Oh, you mean me? Why, I'd be delighted."

"Luckily for you," I said, linking my arm in hers, gently guiding her toward Mont Nuit, "I still know a few people there. Hopefully we can hold them off from robbing us blind."

"What's your game of choice?" I asked. "I enjoy kottabos myself, but that's mostly played at parties."

[Niamh mac Igrainne]

I grinned happily as she accepted the unspoken offer, taking my arm as we began the trek to Mont Nuit. Mentally I counted my coin, which wasn't much, but was enough to have a little fun with.

"Kottabos?" I asked, unfamiliar with that game. "Mine is dice, pretty straightforward," I said with a laugh. "Oisin cheats, though." I gave him a sidelong glance as he trotted along side us, wondering what his reception at Bryony House would be.

[Sandrine nó Orchis]

"Oh, kottabos is fun! It happens when you're drinking at a party...after you drain your cup, you swirl the remaining liquid around and try to hit a target." I made a spinning motion with my free hand. "Actually, most people are better when they've had a bit to drink. Sometimes we make bets. The game is Hellenic in nature, I think. Sadly I'm not great at history."

When she mentioned the wolf, he looked up at the sound of his name, and I scratched behind his ears. "Oh, so you are the naughty one?" I said, speaking to him. "I'm sure that means your mistress never does anything bad." I gave Niamh a sidelong glance. "Well, until tonight, anyway."

"One time I tried to play in a street game with loaded dice." I laughed at the memory. "It did not end well." I shook my head. "Cheaters never prosper. Or, at least, only rarely."

[Niamh mac Igrainne]

"It does sound fun, and of course I like any game that involves a few drinks." I resolved at once to try my hand at this game. Dice was fun, but it would be nice to try a new game.

I laughed when she addressed Oisin, liking the fact that she treated him well. At Innisclan he garnered a lot of sidelong glances, but people were used to him for the most part. Here it was another story, the poor thing!

"The thing about cheating," I said, laughing softly, "is that one must be very in tune with one's audience. Some people are harder to cheat than others, and regardless of the dice being used, it is the personality of the other players that determines how and when cheating will be effective."

It was an odd topic, to be sure, but I felt like she was the kind of person who might appreciate the knowledge, not look askance at me for it.

[Sandrine nó Orchis]

I laughed with her. "Oh, I like you. I feel we could get into all sorts of delicious trouble together."

"In hindsight, I really didn't know my audience. I probably could have done some real damage if I had done a little reconnaissance first." I tapped my fingers against my lips as I thought. "I wasn't a regular so they were already suspicious of me. And then I started winning too much..." I sighed. "Ah, it's all clear to me now," I said, my frown slowly becoming a grin. "Good thing you're here to explain all this to me."

[Niamh mac Igrainne]

I laughed at her response, and then reflected that she was probably right. I was very good at getting into trouble at home, why should that be any different here?

"Well, we can explain things to each other, and get into twice as much trouble." I absently scratched Oisin's ears as we continued to walk. "It's always more fun to have a partner in crime, don't you think?"

[Sandrine nó Orchis]

"Of course!" I said. "This way we can plot together." Already the wheels in my head were beginning to turn. "It would be so amusing to come into Byrony and beat them at their own game...or to trick some rich gentleman out of his prize horse at the castle..."

My ideas were getting bigger and bigger, and I had just met Niamh! "But I suppose we'd better start small first, hm? We'll get the lay of the land." I shook my head. "I don't think I've been to Byrony to gamble in years."

[Niamh mac Igrainne]

"You're right," I said, laughing at her enthusiasm - this was a woman after my own heart! "We should go there and not worry about losing some coin at first. Consider it an investment. Once we have a better idea of our "enemy" we can formulate a plan to relieve them of their wealth."

I admit, I was warming up to the notion, thinking back on every rule of gambling my brothers had seen fit to teach me. "And no matter what the stakes, never bet anything that is truly important to you. If you do, you are too tense to take full advantage of the situation." I patted first my purse, then Oisin's head. "Coin is only coin, but some things are priceless."