(PRP DitD) Of Bargains Struck

[Daniel Leto]

It was exactly what Daniel didn't want to hear.

Daniel was about to contradict Milo but decided not to right now. If the Boggans decided to try set up a snatch and grab when Daniel went to speak with the dead, then having them think it would only be him would be better. That would be what they planned for instead of making a trap for two. When the Gravewight showed up with someone else would probably make them abandon the plan. Maybe it wouldn't be Milo but there was no way Daniel was going alone.

Good to move on.

[Malcolm Green]

El Bump-O Xander

[Milo Chernobog]

With the agreement of the Boggan brothers Milo was more then happy to move on from this smelly bog.

Good to move on. Do we want to peak the box or pass it straight to Harvey?

[Yumyumcrow]

Don't look at me. I'm just the narrator

[Daniel Leto]

Good with going straight to Harvey.

[Changeling ST]

They find him waiting at the place where trods meet and mingle: an open glade in the Hedge where the rioting vegetation has been trampled down by the passage of many feet. Here the major local trod curves elegantly like a medieval road through primordial forest - all rutted, rich earth and blue bell meadow. This late in Spring, insect things and pollen dreams cloud the air in whimsy. The Hedge sounds vibrant, the living dream of the forest.

Harvey is sitting with his back to a tree, reclining at ease with a small hamper unpacked and spread to one side. Whatever that purple glaze is, the Spymaster is certainly laying it thickly on a sliced baguette. Broad shouldered, large hands hidden in ratty fingerless gloves, he seems perfectly at ease. For all the world, it appears that the Onyx Courtier is simply out for an walk in the woods.

He is watching them as they emerge from the stinky, rutted, trail that leads to the swamp.
Xander Parable Daniel Leto

[Daniel Leto]

Daniel comes up a little short when he sees Harvey waiting for them. The Gravewight's shoes are caked with sod and there was the Spymaster waiting for them spreading grape jelly on bread. Of course the Freehold intelligence officer knew they'd be coming back from their mission now but it felt kind of insulting to meet them so casually when they all knew it had probably taken some effort to set up the picnic. Then again, how had he known? The question of why the Fairest hadn't done the task himself came up, again. Why not wait till later when there was no chance they were followed?

The Darkling deliberately scrapped off some of the mud on a thorny root before making his way forward. The ponderous ticks of life's clock tocked on. He watched his fellow Winter closely. The fact that the Boggan's had let go of the contract so easily (and truthfully) without having Daniel contact the dead first made him a little wary.

Trust came easily to Daniel. More so than most Onyx courtiers. However, he knew when and how to adapt. Change his actions and words to fit in with the situation. Here and now, acting a spy, he knew how he should proceed. Having cleaned his footwear of excess weight and hazard of tripping, he finally spoke.

"What's your name?" he asked simply. The taste of honey and tarnish floated in his mouth ready for an answer. If one, then they were safe; if the other... Daniel would make sure Milo didn't die alone.

[Changeling ST]

Harvey blinks. It is a curiously blank expression upon his face.

"Well. OK. If you insist, yeah? Its Harvey..." That was a falsehood - tarnish and ash explode in the back of Daniel's mouth.

"Your Spymaster..." That was truth, slick honey treacle oozing over ash.

He paused to crunch on his jam smeared bread. "Try this - its, like, Rosemary's stuff. Or something... Its just yum!" Truth, honey on the tongue.

"I came out to take the Thing you got for me, yeah?" More truth, it sits dissolving on the tongue.

"Take the basket, I left you guys a dream shandy for a job well done." Ash now banished, there is only honey soothing the Darkling's palate.

The Spymaster greedily gobbled up the jammy bread, grunting.

[Milo Chernobog]

Milo emerged from the swamp mostly intact. He was rather irritated his shoes were in the shape they were in, but it was inevitable despite his best efforts. They would more then likely be burned for the scents that had baked into them, though that was something to grumble about on another day.

"Sir." Milo greeted coldly with a slight incline of the head to show his deference. He wasn't expecting to be betrayed here, but neither did he expect the Spymaster to be honest or forward with him. So emotionless courtesy would simply have to do for now.

"If we're asking questions." A quick glance to Daniel before looking back to the other Fairest. "What exactly is this contract and what do you want it for? You invoked your title as Spymaster, is this official Freehold business?"

Milo accepted the toast Harvey offered, though another look was given to Daniel before he actually tried eating it.

[Daniel Leto]

Daniel tensed, about to tell Milo to run. However, with the Spymaster’s next words, there came a wave of relief. It just meant Harvey lived under an assumed identity and the Winter Darkling could appreciate that more than most. Though, meeting them in the middle of the Hedge for a picnic still made Daniel a little on edge because of location alone if nothing else.

He approach more relaxed than he’d been and ready to hand over the box. Milo’s questions caught him a little off guard. They knew the mission had been from the Spymaster since the beginning and if he was concerned about what the contract did he could have asked earlier. Daniel wondered why the Fairest was asking now. For Daniel all that didn’t matter at this point.

“I would like to know what a dream shady is,” he added, taking the offered basket and holding out the contract in exchange. There were still gaps in his knowledge of dreams and goblin fruit, that he wasn't sure which catagorie a dream shady belonged to.