summoned

[mute_pen]

Etty is awoken not by her transformation, but by her summons, a few minutes after dark. In her sleep, she drifted to shore; she's lying in human form - arm intact - half in and half out of the water when she feels it.

It's very insistent.

She cannot bring herself to move. She tries - she does; intellectually she knows it's the smart thing to do - but - she can't. Cannot get up and go to him.

Comments

[mute_pen]

Etty edges towards the door.

[pythbox]

The Baron ignores her.

[mute_pen]

She lets herself out, and heads for the orchard.

[pythbox]

There is no one there.

[mute_pen]

Right now, that is the way Etty needs it to be.

She uncovers the scroll and the writing supplies, and finds a moonbeam to sit in, and puts the flat rock on her lap, and she writes.

She deliberately affects terrible handwriting - it's not hard; her hand trembles now and it's dark - in lieu of any sophisticated cipher. She doesn't want her thoughts read.

[pythbox]

She is left alone until morning.

[mute_pen]

Well before sunrise, she's tucked her implements away and put the rock back, and filled up on fruit. In the likely event that the just-dinner invitation will not be consistently repeated, she'd like to not approach a summons too hungry to think straight.

She changes.

[pythbox]

She's left alone all day, too.

[mute_pen]

She starts gliding by windows again, looking for Nona.

[growcrooked]

Nona is in her room, engaging in one of her pastimes.

[mute_pen]

Etty will just fly on past, then.

Maybe Nona will come out and see her tonight after the Baron's done with - whatever is on the menu for tonight.

[growcrooked]

Well - Nona won't be engaging in the same pastime all day.



A few hours after dawn, she's screaming instead.

[mute_pen]

Etty can't help her.

She wishes she could, but even if she weren't a swan right now -

She flies over the forest, on the lookout for any signs of humans.

[pythbox]

Nothing.

[mute_pen]

Of course not.

She lands on the lakeshore. She sleeps.

[pythbox]

The summons comes just after sunset.

[mute_pen]

Etty weighs her options. Such as they are.

She walks step by trembling step towards the Baron.

[pythbox]

He awaits her by the castle gate, and brings her in for dinner.

[mute_pen]

Etty participates in dinner.

[pythbox]

After dinner, he offers her his arm.

[mute_pen]

Etty...

Looks at his arm, and freezes.

[pythbox]

"Come to bed, my swan."

[mute_pen]

She swallows.

She hasn't run out of things to try yet.

Tonight she will try the truth.

"I can't move. I am too afraid."

[pythbox]

"It is not so bad, my swan," he says, putting that arm around her shoulders.

[mute_pen]

She shivers and turns her head away.