[b]"How fortuitous,"[/b] Gilderoy said his civil tone doing little to cloak the insincerity of his words. He dabbed at the corner of his mouth with a small wash cloth and took a drink of wine as though cleansing an unpleasant taste from his palette. 

[b]"Please sergeant join us,"[/b] the knight said waving a hand vaguely at the table. 

[b]"Our beautiful new companion here felt that you deserved such an honor for your bravery today,"[/b] Gilderoy went on, his voice making his own disagreement with that sentiment clear. There was a generalized murmur of approval by some of the other diners and on of the youngest knights even banged down is flagon and muttering 'Hear Hear!' or some other such enthusiastic comment. The young warrior was rewarded with an icy glance from his superior which quieted the fellow.

Camilla came to her feet a warm smile on her face, much relieved to have Cydric with the company. She lifted the pewter goblet she had been given into the air and the table quieted.

[b]"And not the only bravery either,"[/b] she declared, crimson lips parting in a sunny smile.

[b]"Without you and your brave men, we would certainly have been over run,"[/b] she continued, turning to smile down at Gilderoy.

[b]"Thank you,"[/b] she said and meant it. If the Sigmarites had not arrived when they did, the Chaos Warriors and their beastmen allies would certainly have stormed the tower.

[b]"To Sir Gilderoy and his brave knights," [/b]she proposed and the assembled men murmured much more enthusiastic approval than they had for Cydric's arrival and everyone raised a glass to his lip and toasted. Camilla sat down and began to eat the venison roast that had been laid before her. It was plain fare but it beat trail rations and the gravy was surprisingly robust. Conversation, mostly about hunting, began to spring up again when the scribe, Garmmenn she thought his name was raised his voice. His high nasal accent cutting through the conversation like a violin bow being drawn across the strings inexpertly.

[b]"Tell me Herr Becker, how is it that you and her ladyship,"[/b] he nodded towards Camilla skeptically, "[b]came to be the only survivors of an attack the slew so many brave soldiers?"[/b]

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Velabrass Blackhelm twisted his blade with slow stately precision. The tip of his wickedly sharp sword ground into the back of the whimpering beastmen like an augur, stripping away flesh in a single spiral. The beastman heaved at the iron chains that bound its arms and legs making an odd grunting sound. Velbrass' warriors had already removed the things tongue with burning hot pincers in order to prepare it for this ritual. It also helped keep the noise down. At last he felt the tip of the blade bite into the things spine and with agonizing slowness pushed it through the vertebrae, severing the beastmans back. That was the moment, when its legs went limp that the Changer revealed his augury, the instant the thing went from a single entity to two separate and equally dying halves.

The chaos champion watched the blood run out of the wound, mingling with the clear spinal fluid for a moment and nodded.

[b]"The omens were favorable, the wall will be breached and the inhabitants shall flee in terror, begin preparations,"[/b] the assembled Chaos warriors nodded and strode of to inform their bestial cohorts. All save Gildenhoof.

[b]"Speak perfumed one," [/b]Velabrass sneered.

[b]"Is it not better to use stealth than main force,"[/b] the Slanneshi purred. Velabrass ground his needle pointed teeth. He didn't like followers of the Dark Prince, too preoccupied in their own pleasures to see the big picture, as bad as the Skull Lords frothing fanatics in some ways, but it would be foolish to discount one who had survived so long.

[b]"Tell me of your plan," [/b]he reluctantly conceded.

[@POOHEAD189]