An Afternoon with Uncle Hugo - RPLOG
Participants
Date
12/9/478
Log
Hugo is seated on the balcony of the old manor house he has taken up residence in. "Come and join me on this fine afternoon," he says, as a discreet servant leads his guests to the canopy covered outlook. Rain drums lightly on the canopy and tea is on a small table in front of the snowy lion. "You are just in time for some refreshment," he says.
Katrina smiles and rumbles softly, her paw gesturing for Terry to follow. "Come now, Terry. No dawdling. Unless you prefer staying outside in the rain?" she questions with a raise of her brow, a flick of her tail.
Terry follows up quickly after Katrina, nodding up at her with a polite smile. "Yes 'maam, right behind you." He moves at a quickened step towards the covered canopy, and then circles around so that he's at Hugo's side. The small ocelot seems to be trying to quite hard to maintain a dignified pose, back straight, tail draping down and slightly curled at the tip. "Good afternoon, Uncle Hugo." He's wearing the same, clean-cut suit as the first day they met.
"Sit down, Terry," Hugo says, "You too, Katrina." The lion waits as a servant brings out an extra pair of plates and some small sandwiches. "What brings the two of you to my humble abode today?"
"Well, you did promise us another tale, Uncle Hugo. In addition, the Lady has an assignment for you. A small job, to get back in the swing of family-work," she notes with a smile on her lips, a flick of her ears.
Soon enough, a letter is laid down upon the table and pushed over to Hugo, a smile on her lips.
"Besides. I haven't seen my Uncle Hugo in forever!"
Terry nods at Katrina's words. He moves over to sit by the lion, on one of the chairs that have been laid out in the balcony. "I had to ask to come with, Lord Hugo. I did very much enjoy the stories you were telling us the other day."
Hugo scoops the letter up from the table and breaks the seal. "And how is our enigmatic lady?" he asks, scanning through the letter, "Well, I hope?" It is apparent in his tone of voice that he has some bit of history with the shadowy head of household. "I will get to this in my own time," he promises, and turns his attention to Terry. "Did you now?" he asks, an avuncular smiles spreading across his face, "Perhaps you have come to hear another story? Or is this just a business visit from my neice and her protege?"
"The lady is quite fine. Reclusive as ever. You know how protective she is of her identity, and that of the primary members of the Hand," she notes, gesturing at her mask. "Particularly the ones who delegate her orders," she rumbles with a flick of her ears, before looking to Terry, her tail swaying lightly. "Today is an off-day. We won't be handling any training today, and we'll gladly stick around for another story.
Terry looks up at Katrina as Hugo asks his questions, and smiles at him after her answer. "I would love to hear a story, Uncle Hugo. Or.. anything else you'd like to talk about, really." His tailtip flits playfully as he speaks. "I feel I can learn much from you."
"Fine, fine," Hugo chuckles, waving a hand at Terry, "Just inside the door you will find a bottle of brandy, bring it out here and I will tell you about the time I wrestled a Caldera Monk. It is an interesting story."
He looks back at Katrina. "You know I do not like the secrecy," he says, "That was all your father's idea."
A nod, and a shake of the head. "And father guided the Hand quite efficiently, as you are aware. Secrecy was a must, and still is, considering those who would see the Family removed," the she-cat notes, before shaking her head. "Secrecy was, and still is, the logical option, both under our previous Lady, who ordered the creation of the Hand, as well as our current Lady, whom requires her services just as much," the feline reasons, before nodding along with Hugo. "I would like to hear this story as well, of course."
Terry nods quickly. "Yes sir!" He slides off the chair and walks off, at a quickened pace but without actually running, his youthful excitement being tempered by the training he's been receiving the last few weeks. He goes to look for the bottle of brandy, along with a trio of snifter glasses to serve them with. He returns with the glasses and bottle on a silvered tray, laying it on the small table before settling back on his chair.
"Very good, Terry," Hugo says, lifting the heavy crystal bottle and pouring three glasses, "I will be forever grateful to the forethought of the being who saved the old family wine cellars from the crown." The well dressed lion looks thoughtful for a second, reminiscing about something. "I wish I had known your grandfather, Kitten," he says, "I greatly admire your father, but I wish I had known what drove Reginald to do what he did." He shakes his great mane and comes back to the present.
"I promised you a story of my own though, did I not?" he says, sipping his brandy and reaching for a little sandwich, "Tell me, have either of you been to Thera'Dor?"
"I do not know Reginald's motives, rest his soul. But I do know our previous Lady abode by his last word, and our current Lady abides by her wishes," she notes, before smiling faintly towards Hugo. "Even so... Let us not dwell on things we do not know, and instead, focus on an enjoyable day of stories, drink, and merriment, shall we?"
Terry watches the two as they talk. He doesn't know enough to comment on any of what they are saying, and even if he did he would know to keep his opinion to himself unless asked for it. Instead he takes his snifter of brandy, holding it carefully with his two small hands. He takes a short sip, and tries to control the instinct to cough as the alcohol burns down his throat.
Hugo grins at Terry, pleased to see the young feline trying the strong drink. "Now, you are aware that most of our great Northern neighbor is cold and barren, right?" he asks, "This is not true of the entire country. There are a few secluded valleys up in the fiery mountains that are like Springtime in Firmament for most of the year. The biggest one is the Great Caldera."
Katrina smiles and simply nods along, her tail flicking lazily behind her, gesturing for a servant to bring her a bottle of wine in the mean time. She simply smiles, flicks her ears, and rumbles. "I've heard, yes. Our contacts in Thera'Dor have provided us with sketches as well... Though I haven't had the time to visit the place just yet."
Terry nods along to Hugo's words. The orphan ocelot has not had much of an education, but he knows enough to recognize Hugo is describing Thera'Dor. His eyes twinkle as he looks at his 'uncle', already imagining the fiery mountains sitting amidst the wind-swept, snow-capped tundra hills. His mental image is probably very far from the actual truth, since the boy has neither been there nor seen any sketches, but it awes him none the less. "How big this village Uncle Hugo?"
"Big enough," Hugo says, glad to have an appreciative audience, "Not as grand as Firmament, but there are lots of beautiful fields and they have their own special kinds of buildings. The people of Caldera are saurians, some kind of lizardy things, and they are like a big school of monks. Everybody works and everybody eats. Not a bad arrangement. They also all fight. It is a point of pride for them that they are all trained in their own special martial arts."
Katrina smiles and nods, her tail still twitching as she awaits her glass of Shralestan wine, which she's soon slowly swirling around, taking the occasional sip as she continues listening in to Huku's tale, ears perked curiously.
Terry takes another cautious sip of his brandy, finding it easier than the first. He looks up at Hugo, listening to his story with rapt attention. "Special martial arts?"
Hugo nods. "All of the Thera'Dorans are fighters," he says, "But the Calderas? They are wrestlers. They are always wrestling with each other. It is like a part of the religion they practice. They have big ceremonies and two of them will wrestle each other to honor their god in the mountain. They wear special clothes, boots and little coats that are far too small and there is all kinds of bowing and posing before they start." He stops talking for a moment to drink from his cup, then continues, stroking his snow white mane. "I was walking through the fields one day," he says, "I had some business to take care of out there, and in the fields, there are thin little walk ways that go along the terraces." The lion stops and looks at Terry. "Do you know what terraces are?" he asks.
Katrina smiles and flicks hear ears lightly, silently listening in, and looking towards Terry. "If you know the answer, you get an extra loaf of bread tonight," she offers with a small smile on her lips, a flick of her tail as she watches Hugo and Terry both, her ears flicking. "Is there... Anything particular about this method of wrestling?"
Terry takes one more sip from his very strong alcoholic beverage, actually coughing a little this time, but he puts on a brave face. He perks up at the question, and seems genuinely excited by the reward he's offered if he gets it right. He mulls over the question for a bit. "Isn't a terrace like a fancy garden, Uncle Hugo? Like the ones on the mansions up in the Castle Square?"
"Very good, Terry," Hugo says, "And I think we can do better than a loaf of bread for an intelligent student." He continues his story. "These terraces are much bigger of course, for growing crops in. They fill with water and there is only a little path to walk between them. So I was walking on the edge of a terrace field and who should come along but one of the ceremonial wrestlers! He was all dressed up for a wrestling match and coming the opposite way. We were both a long way from any branches and obviously too big to go around each other so we just stopped and looked at each other for a minute."
Katrina smiles and shakes her head. "That depends on whether he manages to answer your further questions correct, hmm? A single question, a loaf of bread. More than that? He'll also earn himself some more," the she-cat rumbles with a smile on his lips, looking back to Terry, before looking to Hugo.
Terry is visibly happy when he's told he got it right, his tail flicking excitedly from side to side. His contentment is muted somehow as Katrina brings his promise of a big reward back down a fair bit. He nods. "Yes 'maam.." He returns his attention to Hugo, listening to his story. "Is that why you fought, Uncle Hugo? Did he refuse to let you pass?"
"Yes, he did," Hugo says, "I was not about to step off the path and ruin my nice shoes and trousers, and he refused to step aside because he was on his way to an official wrestling ceremony. Neither of us would let the other pass. So I thought of a great idea. He could just try and show me how great his wrestling skills were and try to throw me off the path. Whoever won could claim a prize from the winner."
Katrina smiles and rumbles with a flick of the tail, taking another sip of her drink as she awaits the rest of the story, smiling quite warmly at the obviously excited way Terry is listening to the story. "So... What'd you take from him, Uncle Hugo?"
Terry nodnods, already picturing the whole scene in his mind. He takes another sip of the brandy, a tiny one, the boy having learned that small sips let him enjoy the flavour without too much of the burning that accompanies the strong alcohol. He giggles at Katrina's words.
"His dignity, mostly," Hugo says, taking a sip of his brandy, "He may have been the best wrestler around, but a well placed kick took the fight right out of him. Hurt my foot. Those Calderas are tough. But down he went without so much as laying a hand on me." He grins at the memory and reaches for a sandwich. "He was not very happy when he finally dragged himself out of the mud," he continues, "But what could he do? The Caldera's have their pride, but they have honor too. I like that in a man, friend or enemy. So he offered to buy me dinner and to introduce me to the abbot of the Caldera monastery. Which has been a lucrative relationship."
Katrina smiles and rumbles softly, her tail flicking, even as she takes another sip from her wine. Soon enough, the empty glass rests on the table, and she smirks below her mask, giving a quick glance to Terry. "Honor is a good thing. A valuable quality. You are, of course, aware of the Lady's conflict with her sister, yes? If she truly wanted, she could end her at any time, right now."
"The trick, of course, is to strike in such a way and at such a time that it is readily apparent why -she- is the real Lady, rather than her younger sibling."
Terry puts down his glass and claps excitedly at the end of the story. "And you became friends in the end, too? That's the best story yet Uncle Hugo!" He looks up at Katrina, tilting his head curiously at her statement, his ears perking up curiously.
Hugo frowns at Katrina. "I have often wondered about that," he says, "I-" he stops and shakes his head, tossing his mane about, "Never mind. It is not important." The lion looks back at Terry. "My point is," he says, "There is always more than one way to come at a problem. AND just because someone starts as an enemy does not mean they have to stay one. See? If you play your cards right, you can turn an enemy into an asset and sometimes even into an ally."
"I do not claim to understand her exact reasoning. But I do know that, if she chooses to strike now, it will not help the house any further. Instead, we wait, until we can put someone more... Favourable in the False Lady's position. For now," the she-cat notes, before shaking her head. "It makes some sense, Of course, we continue to disturb her supply-lines, to destabilize her position."
"As for honor... It is a valuable thing. It builds trust, even among foes."
Terry looks between the two, the small ocelot's impressinable mind absorbing all these tidbits like a sponge. He nods at Hugo, internalizing the lessons from his story. He tilts his head at him, ear cocking curiously. "You seem very well travelled Uncle Hugo. What other places have you been to?"
