The handsome young barbarian warrior seemed to be discreetly looking around for images of the girls. He had heard so much about. But unfortunately didn’t see anything in the room.
Then he said with a friendly smile, “Thank you, sir, for meeting with me at such short notice. I will fulfill my obligation and share with you my stat. If that is agreeable with you?”
Bennet smiled and said, “Interesting custom we’ve developed in this area of the kingdom. But I suppose that it is necessary. If it only prevents all young people today from taking the easy route. Of just buying power with magical devices. So, go-ahead young man, it would be my pleasure.”
The younger polite man had listened to the older man's musing. Mostly just smiling pleasantly and nodding. Then, with a simple spell, when asked, he displayed his goddess’s blessing giving his character sheet. This was as a glowing white image in the air:
Character Name:
Bingley
1st Class
Barbarian
51
Major
Strength
Fortitude
Agility
Number
200
120
50
Major
Intelligence
Charisma
Knowledge
Number
30
40
5
Minor
HP
MP
Stamina
Carry Limit
Number
576
160
260
410
Regen Sec
12
7
6
N/A
Bennet said with a smile and nod as he was duly impressed, “You’ve done well for yourself, young man. You are most welcome in this Manor.”
Unbeknown to the young Bingley as the two noblemen had been talking. Upstairs in one of the sitting rooms, the ladies were somewhat more fortunate in their observation of him. They had the advantage of ascertaining his stats and appearances with a spying spell. All with the help of Lizzy because her youngest two sisters had pestered her to cast the spell. She protested for a while but had always meant to give in. Even though she was more reserved in her behavior, she was as curious as them. With her spell, most of the meeting had been appointed to them in the upper room. Finally, they were able to watch him leave. He wore a blue coat with a great ax strapped to his back as he rode a black warhorse. Leaving to travel the wilderness surrounding the manor.
Now the formal introduction process has been completed. An invitation to dinner was soon afterward dispatched. Already had Lady Bennet planned the courses that were to do credit to her housekeeping when an answer arrived, which deferred it all. The young man Bingley was obliged to be in the capital the following day, and, consequently, unable to accept the honor of their invitation, etc.
Lady Bennet was quite disconcerted. She could not imagine what business he could have in the capital so soon after he arrived in Hertfordshire. She began to fear that he might always be flying about from one place to another, and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be. Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little by starting the idea of his being gone to the capital only to get a large party for the ball. A report soon followed that Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly hunt. The girls grieved over the number of ladies. Still, they were comforted the day before the hunt by hearing that instead of twelve, he would only bring only six with him from the capital—his five sisters and a cousin. They even hoped it would be much reduced when the event happened.
Chapter 4
The light of the golden rays of the bright sun was starting to move over hills in the east of Bennet’s estate. A few clouds were in the sky, indicating it would be a perfect day for the assembly’s hunt. Not too hot and not to cool, for battle in the foothills of the mountains in the northern lands in the county. The first rays of the sun lit up the outside of the large fortified manor. In the front courtyard, the first signs of life burst out of the large manor house’s fortified wooden doors.
The doors opened with a smash, as they hit the inner stops. The youngest daughter in the household, Lydia, ran out onto the gravel courtyard surrounding the carved stone arch that was the entranceway into the manor. She was dressed in a green and brown leather outfit that fit her body perfectly. Over her shoulder, she had a powerful longbow. With a quiver of arrows on her back. Many of the arrows had special heads developed by her father. She was also wearing a short sword at her side. Last night Lydia had been the most excited daughter in the household, even taking it so far as to get ready early in the morning for today's battles.
Lydia's voice broke the stillness of the morning as she shouted at her sister Kitty. Who seemed to be lagging behind her enthusiastic younger sister this early in the morning. Her loud high pitched voice echoed through the still morning.
She said, “Kitty get a move on. You’ll be late. I want to mix with some of the boys from the other noble families. If we don’t, they'll already be paired up for the couple-party battles in the morning.”
An answer came from the doorway as her sister shouted back, “Some of us have to put on more armor than others. Just have a bit of patience and wait for me.”
For a while, the two younger women shouted back and forth into the early morning light of the dawn. As the ever impatient Lydia kept trying to get her sister Kitty to dress faster. Finally, Elizabeth exited the house in her wizard robes. These had a hem slightly torn from previous battles.
She said with sarcasm to her youngest and noisiest sister, “Aren't rogue meant to be silent and stealthy. Rather than loud and obnoxious. It is a good thing the neighborhood is all going to the assembly hunt today. As you’d have woken them up with all this noise.”
Her younger sister just made a dismissive gesture with her facial expression.
Then said in reply, “It’s Kitty’s fault. If she had gotten up earlier and put on all her armor, we would be already on our way. Why did she have to choose to be a warrior, anyway? It’s just so boring, in my opinion. But not as boring as being a wizard, I guess.”
Lizzy just gave her annoying sister a sweet smile but did not rise to her provocation. At that point, a scuffle of noise was heard behind them. Then the armored Kitty ran out of the front door. She was wearing an assortment of leather armor with a large ax strapped to her back. On her head was a helmet with a faceplate. But her face protection was up at the moment. Out of the end of her helmet, two tightly wound braids of light brown hair fell across her armor. Like all the women in the family, she was considered a beauty even in the armor. Her mother, sometimes, to Kitty annoyance, demanded looks over form. Even when it came to wearing heavy armor. She considered it an investment for her girls to look their best at all times. Lizzy hoped that the torn hem on her robes would not be noticed by her fastidious mother.
As the armored warrior ran out. Lydia was already running toward the stone walls surrounding the inner manor estate. She was grabbing the bow of her back and pulling out an arrow. She shouted to her slower sister, “Hurry up, we want to be there early to find the best partners.”
Kitty sighed then engaged one of her combat abilities. She flashed and disappeared from where she had been running, far behind her younger sister. Then in a fraction of a second reappeared by her sister's side. Who just smiled. Together, the two ran out of the walled enclosure through the open heavy iron gate of the house fortification.
As Lizzy watched her two overly excited sisters run into the distance. She heard a voice from inside. Her sister Jane said, “Mumma and father asked if we could all walk together into Longbourn town. Was that Kitty and Lydia running off by themselves again?”
Lizzy just had to nod as she shrugged her shoulders. Knowing that it was sometimes impossible to control the two youngest. Especially Lydia, who had chosen the class of rogue that certainly matched her personality.
&nb
sp; At that moment, her two parents appeared from around the corner of the corridor. They were walking arm in arm, enjoying each other's company. Chatting about this and that. Behind them was Mary reading a book seemingly unaware of the world around her, as per usual. Her mother was wearing a smart outer leather jacket and fitted trousers with several knives, in sheaves, around her body. Her father had one of his usual jackets. With its many pockets that she guessed was filled with potions. Being an Alchemist, he was a non-combatant class, but still, he enjoyed the occasional battle. Lizzy was wondering what strange effects, from his potions, he would show off today. She always took pride in her father's abilities. Even if some of the combat class nobles looked down upon his class.
Lady Bennet frowned as she saw only the two older daughters waiting for them. She said, “Did those two rush off again?”
Jane answered in a gentle voice, “Yes, ma. They were gone before I could stop them.” She was dressed in a white robe marking her as a master healer. But she also had a few pieces of leather armor covering vital organs. Lizzy looked at her sister with a smile as she knew that she would be popular today in the party events. Not only was she thought of one of the great beauties in the county, but she was a healer. A master healer to boot. They were always in demand as support for the warriors in any party.
“Don’t worry, dear,” said their father in a conciliatory tone of voice to his attractive youthful-looking wife, “We’ll catch up with them in the Longbourn town square. You can make sure that their paths crosses with Bingley party then.”
Lizzy rolled her eyes at her father's comment as he smiled, knowing her thoughts. She then grabbed Jane by the arm. Together they walked arm in arm out of the door toward the pathway to the town of Longbourn. Behind them came the small procession. Of the rest of the family and some of the retainers that would be participating in the assemblies hunt. This would be a large event across all the skill levels in the county. Besides, many adventures had come from surrounding counties to participate in the hunt.
As the two young women walked the twenty minutes to the town, they chatted away pleasantly. Mostly they chatted about the expected guess of Bingley’s party. The makeup of the party had been the gossip in the neighborhood.
Jane would stop sometime to pick a herb that she spotted in the forest beside the track as they walked. For behind them, her father would shout the identity of every herb she had just picked. Then it was Jane's turn to shout back what its properties were to the best of her knowledge. Her father would answer back with some new properties she had not mentioned. This was a long-established game that Jane had played with her father from the age she decided to become a healer. Never once had her father failed to correctly identify the plants she picked.
Soon the family and their retainers were passing over the bridge. The town was surrounded by a large moat and had brick walls for defense. As they were some of the highest nobles in the province, the heavily armored guard smartly saluted them without stopping the family at the city gates. Inside the town's wall, it seemed as if the whole town was in a state of excitement. Young and older adventures had come from miles around to take part in the local guilds assembly’s great hunt and were filling up the town's streets.
The large party of the Bennet family had to make their way through the bustling street. To the center of the town where the hunt was being organized. On the way, Lizzy got frustrated with her mother's constant need to comment on all the goods in the shop window. She was always talking about the latest fashion of this and that in the county. She caught an odd flicker of worry from her father. When her mother spoke about the need to buy this and that. For her daughter as they definitely needed new items. But lucky for her father, they had no time to do the actual shopping today.
Her mother was always comparing her family to others in the neighborhood. While the family's clothing and armor were not the best that the noble typically wore. It was indeed a cut about what the commoners were wearing. But still, she wanted the best for her family. Unfortunately, it was costly to support a large family with all the clothing and weaponry they needed to keep up with the latest fashions.
When the parties of lower-tiered adventures saw the high noble party on the narrow cobblestone streets. They would move to the side bowing respectfully. Allowing the noble family to proceed first as was their right. As was her way, Jane, who was still walking arm in arm with Lizzy, would always nod politely back to the people they passed.
Soon the pleasant early morning journey was over. The noble family entered the grand paved square with a large set of fountains in the center. This square had statues of gods and goddesses in heroic poses placed around the fountain. Around the edges were the large guild, temple and city council building. All impressive in the stone and marble carved fronts.
The mostly empty square. At a regular time, it was close to a full half of crowds of adventurers. Even more, people were moving in from the numerous side streets. The noble party was able to move forward with ease as some of their retainers cleared a path. When they were seen by people pushing through the crowd toward the roped-off section. People moved out of the way. Getting away from the noise and bustling crowd of lower-level commoners, the family party passed the city guard into the nobles’ meeting area.
This area was full of finely dressed and armored people. Lizzy pointed out to her sister Jane some of the young nobles that were still low levels in their classes. The gossip was that they over-relied on the expensive armor and weapons from their parents. That gave them the illusion of power but without personal development.
Jane said in her gentle voice that she used when reprimanding Lizzy, “Not everybody is as dedicated as our family. If it works for them. It best to leave it be.”
Lizzy said, “But it's just all a show as they have no personal power. Without their expensive equipment, they will be useless. It just annoys me that we have to be looked down upon by some of these people. While we may not have the best of everything, our power is our own not brought for us.”
Jane just nodded and smiled at her sometimes over-opinionated sister. She had been through this conversation with her many times before.
Their mother was the first one-two spot her two youngest daughters in the crowds of milling nobles. She said as she moved quickly away from her husband, “I’ll just be a second and get those two back. So, they can meet the Bingley party when they arrive.”
With that, she dashed off gracefully into the noble crowd. But every now and then she had to stop as she saw somebody that she just needed to talk to. This made her progress very slow. The three women had just gotten back to the family party when magical light flashed into the air drawing everybody's attention to the front of the town square.
Sir William Lucas was at the front of the square organizing the assembly hunt for the nobles. Lizzy could see that he was standing to get people to move away from a marked out area. She smiled with excitement when she saw the platform in the square. It was one of the portals to the county’s dungeon.
Powerful magic flashed from the upright stone circle that was at the center of several inscriptions. When the light had subsided, she saw the familiar surface of dark water appear. This glittering surface indicated that people would be traveling from the dungeon to the center of the town. The sometimes officious but kind Sir William Lucas was standing facing the circle with a welcoming smile on his face.
Lizzy whispered to her sister, “ I guess that this is when we get to see the new dungeon master’s party.” Jane nodded with excitement as they both looked at the undulating dark glistening surface of the portal.
Then out of the fluctuating dark surface, a well-dressed group of people stepped into the square. The nobles assembled in the square bowed with respect. The new party of nobles were dressed in some of the most expensive-looking armor and clothing. That had been seen in the county. Sir William bowed with great respect as did all the nobles facing toward the dungeons portal.
Sir William said with
a gesture of welcoming, “High noble Lords and Ladies welcome to the county’s assemblies hunt. You are most welcome into our society. I hope you enjoy our simple activities today.”
With that, he started to make introductions to the noble party. Lizzy whispers into Jane's ear her observation of the powerful, rich noble party. She made comments that not only did they have expensive and powerful weaponry, but all were either legendary or masters in their classes. The Bennet's family could tell the high noble parties levels as Lydia was using one of her rogue skills to detect their level. But when it came to one of the party, she kept quiet about their level. Their father had long tried to put a stop to this intrusive snooping but had given up the battle with his youngest.
Elizabeth said quietly to her older sister as she critiqued the new arrivals. As the group interacted with the noble families around them. The two sometimes broke out into laughter at her pointed analysis.
Lizzy said, “Bingley seems to be quietly good-looking and gentlemanlike. I hope you agree with me that he had a pleasant countenance and easy, unaffected manners.” As she said this, Jane blushed when she looked across the square at the handsome barbarian warrior that was being affable to all around him. Lizzy smiled at the effect the man had on her older sister. Then continued with her commentary about the new party, “It looks like his sisters are fine women, with an air of power. My guess is one is a paladin and the other a warlock.
“His brother-in-law, I’ve heard is named Hurst, merely looks to be a Dark Knight. But he looks like he's been drinking before the event today. Maybe the black sheep of the family.”
Lizzy was just about to carry on with her commentary when her mother came up to her. She said excitedly to her two daughters, ”Listen, girls, I’ve found out something important. That friend of Bingley is a Legendary wizard called Lord Darcy. Isn't he a fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien. The report, which is in general circulation, says that he has ten thousand gold bars a year.”
Dawn of Adventure Page 3
