A Million Roads to Nowhere

Lady Clementine's Words of Wisdom

Back at the castle, a servant shows Patrick and Lady Clementine to their rooms, but there's not much time to explore the luxurious chambers as it's dinnertime and they can't miss the first dinner of their stay without being insulting. Unlike at Alistair's, the Tabard's, and Rozenn's, all of the servants eat at the same time as them in the same room, so it's more like a party than a formal dinner.

It's rowdy and loud, and there's copious amounts of singing, drinking, talking, and even kissing- which is more than a little astonishing to Patrick. It's overwhelming and he kind of hates it. On the brightside, Signe is just as miserable as he is, and the two of them find camaraderie in that.

A group of brightly dressed, giggly ladies have surrounded Clementine. Their clothes are a fun contrast to her dark attire and their high voices complement her lower pitch. She seems to be enjoying their company, which is nice, but it means Patrick is left to sulk with Signe at their spot on the table.

When Clementine excuses herself, Patrick takes the opportunity to leave as well, and gets back to his room with no difficulty. He's gotten good at navigating castles, if he does say so himself.

Back in his room, he changes into the white pajamas that were laid out on the bed, glad to get out of the stuffy clothing. He explores every inch of the room. It's like the room in the inn he and Clementine stayed at, only it has a different feel that he can't put his finger on.

He leaves a candle on so he can read and flips to the section about portals. Aodhan's neat, curly handwriting pops up every now and again the margins, making notes and such on the topic. It's intimate, reading a book that Aodhan has read and seeing some of his thoughts. It makes him feel less alone.

'Black salt- useful to fix mistakes'

'Note: do not use smoke to open doorways. If you forget why, it's because it stinks and it cannot be contained properly'

'Remember to practice this spell- good money for it'

'Chalk doors- perhaps with enough practice can be made without all the extra fuss.'

'Use protective stones when leading one through the Below or they may lose a bit of their soul in a most unpleasant way'

Patrick wonders how long ago Aodhan wrote these. It must have been before he was taken by Alistair. Maybe he even taught Signe with this book.

He falls asleep reading and is surprised to be woken up by a knock at the door. The last thing he remembers is learning how to make a proper containment circle. He rubs his eyes and shuffles to the door, book still clenched in his hand.

"Oh, good morning, Signe," he greets drowsily.

I thought it would have been Lady Clementine.

"Good morning," Signe responds. "Would you like to join me for breakfast?"

"Um, okay! I- uh- need to dress."

Signe nods, turning slightly pink. "I can wait outside, if that's all right."

Patrick agrees and quickly changes into a pair of clothes he finds in the dresser. The clothes are far less fancy than the doublet and trousers he got at the shop, but they are still of silken, high quality material that's nicer than any of his cotton shirts. He slides a blouson shirt on and black pants. The dark blue of the shirt indicates Clementine got it for him, but how and when is a mystery.

He meets Signe outside and she leads him to a terrace, where she politely asks a passing servant if they could have a table for breakfast. A few minutes later, they have a wooden table and chairs to eat on, and a platter of biscuits and fruit, ready for the eating. Signe pours him a cup of tea, fidgeting nervously in her seat.