Chago twists toward the other side of the wagon to head out and help the poor sidhe when she screams, but his hand flicks in a quick warning sign. 'Trap'. Genny will know the gesture but not Shova. Then he hesitates, straining his ears a moment longer to hear what's happening and to let the male satyr spring the trap for him.

Yeah. It's cruel, but it's pretty safe to expect Shova will not hesitate to help Kiersten on that scream, even if he's led too sheltered a life to expect what the cap does.

Genny nods fractionally, her expression all business now. She moves to the seat and climbs up on it, pressing her hands against the roof of the carriage and calling a whisper of glamour and a soft whistle of pop goes the weasel to pop the roof just a little. Enough they can push it all the way off if needed.

As Chago moves one way, Shova dives for the door. Yeah, he's not thinking trap, he's thinking help now.

As the door opens, he gets knocked off his feet as he's bodily tackled to the ground by a sidhe dressed in the house colors. Shova may not have a lot of experience but he squirms and gets a leg cocked around, kicking the sidhe in the side. "Pussbucket!"

Not that many get to hear the cry from the satyr. Not when Chago had slipped his fingers into his pocket for a coin that he tosses into the air just as he crouches and leaps, using the toss of the coin as a small bunk of his own tossing himself into a similar arching leap and slamming the top of the wagon aside thanks to Genny's help. As he arches upward, he flicks glances to either side and then leans toward the one that seems to need the most help so he'll land closer to them with an echoing war cry.

They look to be under assault by a group of six guardsmen: one troll, two knockers and three sidhe.

The troll has Kiersten slung over his shoulder, a blanket thrown over her head so she can't get a good look at him to cast much. She's snarling and writhing like a wild cat, her fingers just fractions of inches away from a knife on his belt and she seems to be able to sense it there even if she can't clearly see it.

Shova is doing better, twisting out from under the sidhe and kicking him again. Apparently, no one ever told the young sidhe to stay out of kicking range. He's lucky he's armored or his ribs would be completely kicked in instead of just bruised.

The Knockers are dealing with the horses, keeping them still and steady, so it's the two sidhe who react to Chago first, drawing weapons.

"HOLD Brute!"

Why couldn't it have been a troll in charge? That would have been so easy. Really. Chago lands, angled toward Kiersten a touch and clenching his hands into fists. He takes a step back from the raw presence of a pissed off sidhe and their call to the magic known as Soverign or rulership. That power separates the nobles from the commoners with sheer force of will. A will not even most redcaps can fully ignore. But Chago has an advantage, given to him only minutes ago. He feels the power, but it doesn’t sink into his bones, running over his skin and away. He turns that step into a brace and ready for a fight.

His lips curl back in a snarl. "Address me properly, or be ready to pay the cost. I am Chago Bergasa, Witch King and Master of the lands your Baroness was taking us to. Are you going to insult both myself and her with this display?" he challenges, making sure he's loud enough for the troll to hear especially. "Can -none- of you display the least honor for your Baroness?"

The two exchange looks, even as the third one draws a sword on Shova glaring daggers at the satyr. The taller of the two frowns and shakes his head. "We are rescuing her. She is not herself. We found the drugged goblet where we gave the satyr woman succor. She repaid us by swaying our Lady to your browbeat. We will take them both and the Lady's..." He searches for a word that's nicer than the one likely at the tip of her tongue. "Escort and you may leave..."

Kiersten kicks her feet at that. "LIARS! Put me down this instance!"

The troll for his part, stares at Chago frowning. "Witch King... Can you prove your claim on such a title?"

Genny chooses this moment to pull herself over the edge of the wagon, dropping into the driver's seat with an off grace, protecting her hip but showing herself. "Oh please...I'd no more waste good drugs on ya than fly."

Chago's lips curl from scowl to small smile and he straightens his stance, looking from one to the next of the guards, seeking if any wears the crest of House Gwydion. Not seeing it, he steps over to the troll and very carefully indicates his bundle. "Ask Lady Kiersten. Not five minutes ago, she acknowledged my title. Or, set them all free and I will give myself into your personal care. I'll lead you to the drugged wine and you can test it, then tell me how either Genny or I could have done it to her, then you can decide for yourself who has played you for a fool. You know who she really is, I’d bet my hat on it."

Then, still in reach of the troll, he turns to the sidhe. "Knights, I suppose. Was that command to hold backed by Sovereign? Have I held yet?" he taunts softly. "I outrank you, Sir Sidhe. You cannot use that power on me."

Genny's gaze shoots to Chago for an instant, completely aware of just how much risk he's taking here. If the troll doesn't buy it, he could make a mess that none of them would like. She gives the softest of little whistles again following the tune of 'Pop, Goes the Weasel' and stopping just before the 'pop.'

The troll watches the sidhe, observing the interaction and the lack of control the Sovereign has over Chago, though it may have kept him from attacking. Kiersten thwaps her fists into his back again and though there's no way it hurt him, he lowers her to her feet, gently removing the cover from her head. "Lady?" He's still very wary, keeping some attention for Chago, but following his Knightly duty to try to do what is right. He holds her cheeks in his hands, the two of them staring at each other.

The lead sidhe shifts, growling. His eyes widen and he tilts his head as though listening before nodding. "Kill them all!"

Chago's tone shifts instantly from talking and declaring his right to commanding and in charge. When Eric led the Motley, Chago led the fighters under him and that sort of authority rings in his voice. "Troll! Defend your Baroness!"

He doesn't even try and look back to see which side the troll takes. "Satyrs! Together on the wagon!" follows the first command and Chago feints for the sidhe and then spins and lunges for the knockers holding the horses with a bellow. "Run you ugly, arrogant, foulmouthed mulas!" he roars at them with all the force an angry redcap can put behind his words.

Genny nods, not moving from where she is save to grab the reigns Kiersten dropped when she was taken. Once those are in hand the whistle starts again and when she hits "POP" the ground under the moving sidhe explodes upwards, throwing them back. Shova lunges for the wagon, kicking his sidhe defender again as he does and pulls himself up near Genny.

The Troll, surprised at the change, hesitates only briefly before scooping Kiersten up, much more gently this time and depositing her in the wagon through the broken out ceiling. "I cannot help you lady, nor can I hinder your bloodline. I am torn, and so I must stand aside." The words are quick and he suits actions to words, simply standing down.

As for the Knockers...they thought themsevles fierce. They walk around with sidhe who have Sovereign...they've never been browbeat and they break and run.

Chago's lips curl into a smile as the knockers run and he nods his approval at the reactions of the others. One hand snaps out as he notes Genny has the reins and the others are aboard. "My thanks, Sir Troll. I'll remember this!" he calls, even as his palm cracks on a horses' flank.

No, he's not so stupid as to try and send Genny off without him along. Especially with numbers so far against him, even with just him and sidhe to consider. Instead, glamour trails after the horses as they start to run and then back to him, igniting haste long enough to burst into motion and climb into the racing wagon like it was sitting still. "Home Jeeves, and take a turn through the park." he calls as he settles once more, making a rude gesture at the sidhe behind them.

The jerk forward brings a curse, which is followed by more curses. The first one is because it hurts...the following are because he's being left behind. The horses are at least as cowed as the knockers were and away is their favorite direction. Only after Chago's weight settles does the cursing slow...stop? No. But it's a little less vitriolic. She calls back, suggesting something they could do in the park naughty enough that Kiersten turns scarlet despite herself, looking up at Chago.

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"That was...interesting." There's a good sidhe word for it.

Chago's lips curl into a smirk that even Shova can read. "It is interestin'. Especially when she... wait... her hip couldn't take that yet." Then he looks to the front. "Maybe next time, okay babe?" he calls to Genny before looking back to the pair.

"Wait... you meant them back there, didn't ya? Not the park. Sorry." he says with that grin just getting wider. Yeah, not in the least sorry and it shows. "They can't let you go, Sweetcheeks. If you get that crap outta your system, then you'll be able to take over and Uncle Scumbucket will go back to just being an annoying pest. And the local rules will make it easy for you to do it. He can't risk that. That's why me and Shova are gonna be busy when we get stopped." He explains.

Kiersten rubs her fingers over her cheeks, shifting to ride more comfortably. "This is all... It's like I've been walking in a fog most of my life and I'm comping out of it now and everywhere I look what I thought I knew to be real isn't."

The redcap gets a bit more serious and he scoots toward Kiersten, snatching her hand and tugging it to Shova. "This is real." he says as he presses her palm to the satyr's chest, where she should feel a heartbeat. "Most of the rest... hard to say. You're about to have to find out though. Next little while is gonna get real nasty for you. I ain't gonna lie. Before it's over, you're gonna hate every one of us." His hand presses over hers more firmly then. "Remember this if you can. You're gonna need it."

Shova leans towards Kiersten, looping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close even as Chago presses her hand. "We'll see you through this, Sunshine." The nickname is fond, softly spoke. He looks up for a moment, meeting Chago's gaze. "I'll see you through. No matter how bad it gets."

The sidhe looks between the two and finally nods slowly. "It seems better to me to come out of the fog, even if it's unpleasant to see the world for what it is." She smiles faintly. "We build for ourselves and our children."

Chago is quiet, just watching the pair. When Shova catches his eye, he gives a very small nod of approval. Then he looks to Kiersten. "So... can these horses get us all the way to the dark trod with only short breaks to drink when we pass water?" he asks her. "After that crap back there, I don't wanna stop."

Kiersten shakes her head. "They can't. They're enchanted, so they can’t be easily stolen. They can only take us as far as the edgelands. We'll have to turn them in at the inn there. The one Shova told you about earlier when you were talking food." Hah...apparently those pointy ears are good for something. "Then we can switch to something built for the rougher territory we're heading for."

Chago nods and shifts to his gear. "Take back over." he tells Kiersten. "Genny don't need to be on a driver's bench on that hip. Try and gain us some time. Push 'em as hard as you can without spilling us out."

Then he shifts his attention to Shova as he uses fingertips to shuffle through his pack without digging at things with his Gauntlets. "You. Your portals. They're kinda like a mix of moving and Dreamcraft, ain't they?" he asks. "Or are they some seriously powerful moving magic? Some sort of custom spell based off the high end work?"

Kiersten nods, looking up at the hole that's the roof. She pulls herself up and climbs over the edge, showing off long pale legs as she goes. The two women talk softly as they work out the exchange, the pace of the horses staying constant.

Shova thinks about it for a moment and nods. "They're a twist. I learned how to do it from an old Wanderer, shortly before she passed away. It's an odd skill and it always feels a little weird, but it works well in the long run. Just takes a lot of effort. It’s one of the few things I do well."

Poor Shova. He had to say that. Chago has some good solid basics in Dream Craft and is very close to Mastery of movement, so he knows just what to ask and how to ask it to start picking apart the ability and trying to get the last few details he still needs to understand. The questions come as fast as Shova can give answers, seeking out the instinct of the art as much as the understanding by trying to make the satyr answer without too much thought. It's got the caps full focus too, to a point he didn't even glance at the sidhe legs being flashed.

Shova answers as quickly as Chago asks. This is something he likes talking about and having someone who actually understands the theories he's pulling out is fun for the satyr. Redcap or no he appreciates Chago's knowledge. It's not actually so hard what he does if you think about it, just takes power and connection points.

As the men talk Genny drops back over the top of the wagon, slowly lowering herself down to the seat. Her head tilts as she listens in and finally leans back, half closing her eyes and chuckling.

The conversation continues until Chago nods firmly and licks his lips. "I think I got what I needed." he murmurs befor glancing at Genny. "You up for some work soon? I need to get messages back to the group in a hurry. I'll make the contact, you move the stuff to leave the message?" he asks, smirking at the ideas he's getting. "We can do that while these two swap out the horses and then we should be ready to bring any that want to come by the time we get home."

That's right. Home, instead of the keep. Sight unseen, the cap has made up his mind, mostly to piss off the obnoxious one that tried to stop him.

Genny nods as he asks. "'f course I am." She pauses, looking around the wagon. "Though waitin' til we're stopped will be better." Her concentration is on other things right now. "We should look at accquirin' distance weaponry when we get a chance. I may not be able ta kick as much ass for a little longer, but I can certainly shoot it."

Chago gestures to a few things he retrieved from his pack. A smaller metal mirror for scrying with. A pouch of some sort of powder. A quill and sealed inkpot and some paper. "That was kinda what I had in mind. Just wanted to give ya warning. I'll aim for Drake, then his brother, then Evan. Them three is the most likely to want to come anyway, and the only ones I trust to tell everyone that might want to. You be ready to let them know we'll be getting them and their gear in..." He trails off a moment and glances to Kiersten. "Sweetcheeks. How long until we get there if we keep the inn stop short?"

She calls back, apparently not as worried about making noise now. Can't get worse can it? "It will take til almost dark to get to the inn, though the last few hours is mostly farm land, not so much city. The lands near the trod are another full day travel from there if we can get good mounts." Distance is a funny thing in the Dreaming. Milewise it's a good sized city, but these horses are traveling it faster than typical.

Chago nods to Kiersten and then focuses on Genny again. "Midnight tomorrow, we get them then. Gives us time to get set up and be ready." Then he nods to Shova. "And it gives us time to have him open a portal if I can't get my own cantrip t'work." he adds with a glance to Shova. "You good with that right?" he asks then, like he was really expected to say no.

Genny nods. "Easy 'nuff. I should be close ta full strength by then and can get the message through any way ya want. May have them bring some supplies through too, I can think 'f things we need which will be easier fer them ta bring. Especially if the cave we saw is jus’ a cave." She shifts, settling against his shoulder. "Gonna goat nap while I can if the pointy eared can keep us on a smooth track." Conserving strength is wise. "I'll swap someone off in a bit."

Shova looks back to Chago and nods. "Yeah, I can do that. It's easier when I'm not as worried about immediate death and such."

Chago chuckles softly and moves a little so Genny can use his lap for a pillow. Yes, even asleep and riding in a wagon, he trusts her horns there. Ahem. "Does kinda help t'come up with good bunks when ya ain't got a big toothy monster breathin' down your neck, huh?" Or a short toothy one, but that's beside the point.

"Yeah. You ain't gotta worry about imediate death now." he agrees. "Now, tomorrow, I know one pissant that's gonna be stepped on, but you ain't gotta worry none about that."

Genny curls in comfortably, injured hip kept off the seat. She loops an arm around his leg, fingers absently rubbing his shin as she drifts off. Tension remains her her hand, showing that she's only just barely sleeping and would wake quickly if it was needed, but it's wise to catch a nap when you can.

Shova leans back, managing a smile. "I can think of several pissants who deserve it." He pauses before speaking more quietly. "There is a troll I think the Baron will call in. One who wants Kiersty for himself. He's been pressing courtship for the last several months, but she hates him."

One hand drops to trail fingertips across Genny's hair while keeping the edges of his Gauntlet's from tugging at it. "Hadda be a damn troll. Why is it always a troll that wants the girl and ain't got a damn clue?" he mutters, shaking his head a little. "Well.. things go like I expect, I'll have two trolls here myself, and they'd probably love the chance to get into a proper brawl." he assures. "Which means the ass from her uncle is gonna be here before we can bring them." Yeah. He knows how that works.

Shova shakes his head. "Maybe, maybe no. He's got a distance to travel and..." The satyr makes a face, muttering just loud enough for Chago to hear and not Kiersten. "The Baron has been pushing an...incest is best...kind of thing too. That since he's her uncle by wakening and not mortal blood it wouldn't be so bad if he and she hooked up and created little ruling class sidhe together. Cause her children are the bloodline, they take over when she's gone."

Chago flicks a glance forward and then smirks. "Can't fault his taste." he says with a small snort of amusement. "Class. Manners. Attitude. Brains, yeah, but not taste." And that from a redcap. Ouch.

"Don't worry, Shova. He's on the list too, but.,.. well he might be a dick, but he's the ruling dick right now and things'll be worse without him if she ain't ready to step in."

Shova actually growls softly. "Taste or not he can't have her. She's mine and if he lays a finger on her..." The threat isn't exactly empty, the satyr's eyes Passion touched. He gives himself a little shake. "I know. It makes sense, but I don't like him."

Chago nods his approval of the flash of temper and smiles as the satyr gets himself under control again. "Good to see your balls have dropped." he jokes. "I don't like that mula either. Just run with me on this. When the time is right, we'll take him down. We go too soon, we give him what he wants though. We wait and we win it all. Trust me. I'm a seer."

Shova nods at that, rubbing his fingertips together. "We'd better. I ain't in this to lose her. The palace I don't care as much about, but her I do. And I suppose whatever we breed since they'll be tied to the place, but still...that's a long time away."

The satyr falls quiet, letting the silence reign unless Chago has more questions. Genny wakes, as promised, after an hour, seeming better for the snooze. Go figure she sleeps really well when she's with her man.