define('WP_CACHE', true); Donfin – Crossed Paths – Logs https://crossed-paths.com/logs The Story Thus Far... Mon, 03 Feb 2014 01:28:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.6 Chapter 28: Heading South https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/269 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/269#respond Fri, 14 Feb 2014 11:00:11 +0000 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/?p=269

Continue reading]]> Chapter 28: Heading South

In Which Arrin Sleeps Like A Log.

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Arrin Woodgreen:  He wakes up at dawn after blissfully dreaming of having his sight back. He climbs out of bed and starts packing.

Yazeth: Jozra wakes up as soon as Soquan climbs out of bed. She mutters a, “Morning” before grabbing her pack and wandering out to the kitchen to pack as much of the foodstuff that will fit.

Arrin Woodgreen: Arrin lies asleep with her head on the kitchen table. The cut and uncut fruit around her suggests that she fell asleep during this task.

Yazeth: Jozra grins at the sight. Quietly she sets her pack down and pulls the fruit towards her and finishes Arrin’s task.

Arrin Woodgreen: Arrin continues to sleep, snoring softly. Soquan emerges from the bedroom several minutes later with his pack.

Yazeth: The ferret moves quietly over to Soquan and whispers to him. “Let Arrin sleep a bit longer. She fell asleep cutting up some fruit.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He chuckles. “No need to whisper, Arrin sleeps like a log.” He puts down his pack and picks up his sister, taking her to her bedroom.

Yazeth: Jozra chuckles as well and completes slicing the fruit. She spies a jar set on the table, apparently for packaging the fruit, and places the fruit slices into it.

Arrin Woodgreen: He returns and stands beside her. “Need any help?”

Yazeth: She shakes her head as she places the rest of the fruit into the jar and closes the lid tightly. “Nope. Just finished. I think our canteens can use some filling though.” She moves to start packing the food into the packs.

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “I’ll do that, pass me yours?”

Yazeth: Jozra hands her canteen to the otter.

Arrin Woodgreen: He smiles and disappears from the room to fill the canteens.

Yazeth: Soon all of the prepared food – the maple bars, the fruit, cheese, and nuts, the bread and the fish – is all packed, distributed between the two packs. Jozra returns to the bedroom to pick up the rest of her things. She straps on her long dagger and carries her boots and cloak out into the kitchen, not ready to put them on. Yet.

Arrin Woodgreen: He returns and walks up beside her, holding out her canteen. “Here ya go.”

Yazeth: She takes the full canteen and attaches it to the outside of her pack. “Looks like we’re just about ready to go.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Aye, it does.” He attaches his as well. “Too bad Arrin’s still asleep, I don’t have the heart to wake her, she’s done a lot for us.”

Yazeth:  Fortunately, at that moment Arrin walks in blearily. She yawns mightily. “Didn’t want to miss saying g’bye.”

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan brightens and he bounds over to his sister, scooping her up in a tight hug.

Yazeth: Jozra grins as Arrin returns the hug while still yawning. As soon as she has the chance, Jozra gives Arrin a hug as well. “Thanks so much for everything.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She smiles and returns the hug. “What’re friends for?” She hugs Soquan again, much briefer this time. “You come back y’hear me? I want to be an aunt before I get too old. Shouldn’t be too hard with all the females that moon after you. Although, the one standing right behind you wouldn’t be a bad choice either.”

Soquan flushes slightly and shoves Arrin playfully.

Yazeth: Jozra flushes as well, flattered but embarrassed.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan clears his throat slightly, if anything, feeling a little awkward. “Well, we best be off.”

Yazeth: The ferret nods as she pulls on her boots, attaches her cloak and shoulders her pack. “I’ll make sure he finds his way back North before too long.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She nods. “You do that. You’re welcome to come too.”

Yazeth: The ferret grins. “Thanks.”

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan puts on his cloak, boots and hefts his back. “Goodbye Arrin.”

Yazeth: Arrin walks the pair to the door, still rubbing her bleary eyes. “Goodbye you two. Safe travels.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “We will. No more beating on poor male courtiers okay?”

Yazeth: Arrin chuckles and waves as her brother and the ferret begin their journey south by walking down the path.

Arrin Woodgreen: The otter grins and slings an arm around his companion’s shoulders as they walk further on. “So my dear friend, how did you sleep last night?”

]]> https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/269/feed 0 Chapter 27: Spring Fest https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/264 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/264#respond Wed, 12 Feb 2014 11:00:07 +0000 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/?p=264

Continue reading]]> Chapter 27: Spring Fest

In Which Donfin Celebrates The New Year.

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Arrin Woodgreen: He returns to the house about an hour later, hanging his cloak up at the door. “I’m home!”

Yazeth: Arrin calls from the kitchen in response. “We’re in here!”

Soquan walks in to find Jozra stirring something for Arrin on the stove whilst the otter mends a torn sleeve.

Arrin Woodgreen:  He flops into a seat and reclines slightly, his ears pivoting as he listens.

Yazeth:  Arrin ties a knot and inspects her handiwork before setting the tunic aside and moving to the stove to check on whatever it is Jozra is stirring.

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins and crosses his arms. “Anyone else remember what tomorrow is?”

Yazeth: Jozra stands aside as Arrin takes the pot off of the flames and quirks an eyebrow at Soquan’s question. Arrin pauses for a moment, thinking. “Not… Spring Fest?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins widely, nodding. “Yes, Spring Fest.”

Yazeth: Arrin looks surprised. “I was sure that wasn’t for another week!”

Jozra merely looks confused. “What’s Spring Fest?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs. “Care to explain, Arrin?”

Yazeth: The otter laughs. “You’re the tour guide. I think you can explain to our guest. Besides, I need to get this in the oven.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins at the ferret. “Spring Fest is basically celebrating spring’s arrival. Gifts are exchanged throughout the day, and at night, there is a big feast with dancing and games, and other things.”

Yazeth: The ferret moves to help steady the pot as Arrin pours its contents into a large pan. “Sounds fun.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Aye, it always brings back memories.”

Yazeth: Arrin scrapes the remnants out of the pan and places it into the oven. “I thought I’d send some of my maple oat bars with you guys.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Wonderful!”

Yazeth: Jozra grins. “She’s also packed us another pouch of nuts and some… What did you call them again? Wandering cakes?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Tha’d be what she packed. They keep easy and last you a while.”

Yazeth: *”The ferret nods as she collects the shirt and folds it. “Thought I’d go pack up my stuff.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Okay.”

Yazeth: Jozra exits the kitchen and heads to the bedroom where she gathers the clothing she set aside earlier that day and packs it carefully into her bag.

Arrin Woodgreen: He slips in after her a few moments afterward. “So you really want to head back so soon?”

Yazeth: The ferret nods. How to explain the haste necessary without arousing suspicion? “I’ve been away for so long.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods and seats himself on the bedside. He produces a small box from seemingly nowhere and holds it out to her. “I figured since we’re gonna be on the move tomorrow, I’ll give this to you now.”

Yazeth: The ferret quirks an eyebrow and takes the box. “I didn’t know about Spring Fest…” She trails off in a rather embarrassed manner.

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs. “It’s okay.”

Yazeth: Curious, Jozra opens the box.

Arrin Woodgreen:  Inside is a simple silver necklace, with a scorpion figurine on the end.  Oh the irony.

Yazeth: The ferret’s eyes widen. It is beautiful and far more than she expected but… a SCORPION? Does he know?! “It’s… It’s beautiful.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He smiles at her. “I’m glad you like it.”

Yazeth: Jozra nods speechlessly. Best pretend the scorpion doesn’t mean anything significant to her. See what he knows. She slips the necklace around her neck.

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins and leans over, giving her a soft kiss on the lips.  He then clasps a paw to her shoulder and rises, speaking softly before leaving the room to go help Arrin in the kitchen. “Spring Fest luck.”

Yazeth: The ferret sits in stunned silence for several minutes, conflicting emotions warring their way through her skull. She stares at the little scorpion pendant. Traveling companion and dear friend; of course. Safety against the darkness within; apparently so. But as a… lover? She just doesn’t know.

Eventually she shakes herself out of her reverie, more confused than ever. She decides to wear the pendant for now, but it will go back in the box and into an inner pocket of her pouch for safe keeping. She wouldn’t want to lose THAT on a bramble in their journey.  She stands and meanders her way into the kitchen.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan stands by the counter, placing some of the fresh-made bread into a wrapper.

Yazeth: Jozra shoots a troubled glance at Soquan but is just as confused as earlier. She moves to the stove where Arrin is cutting the maple oat bars into, well, bars. “Need a hand?”

Arrin Woodgreen: She smiles. “That would be wonderful. I need to start working on some other things.”

Yazeth: The ferret nods and takes over. She deftly wields the knife and slices up the contents of the pans. Once she’s completed that, she begins to stack the bars on some clean linen on the counter placed there by Arrin for the purpose of wrapping up the bars.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan finishes wrapping the bread and moves on to wrapping the dried fish Arrin has put out for them.

Yazeth: Soon Jozra has completed her task and has wrapped up the maple bars tightly into two packages. She glances to Arrin, ready for her next task.

Arrin Woodgreen: Arrin motions briefly to a small bit of cheese on the counter before returning to what she was doing.

Yazeth: The ferret takes another bit of clean linen and wraps the cheese tightly, setting it aside with the maple bars.

Arrin Woodgreen: After a while, Arrin dismisses her two helpers. “You two better rest up if you want to get an early start tomorrow.”

Yazeth: Jozra nods in agreement, wiping her paws clean on a towel.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan nods and does the same, hugging his sister goodnight before heading off to their room.

Yazeth: Jozra follows at a slight distance, still caught up in her thoughts.

Arrin Woodgreen: The otter yawns and walks into the bedroom, flopping onto the bed with a groan.

Yazeth:  The ferret chuckles. “Tired?” She moves to her pack and puts the necklace in the box before securing it in an inner pocket of the pack. Briefly, she checks that she has everything packed.

Arrin Woodgreen:  He nods and shifts over, making room for her. “Yeah, what about you? You sleepy at all?”

Yazeth: The ferret nods as she reties the cords holding her pack closed. “Exhausted. Running up and down hills will do that, you know.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He chuckles. “How true.”

Yazeth: Jozra stretches, working the kinks out of her back and neck before approaching her side of the bed.

Arrin Woodgreen: He yawns again and climbs under the covers.

Yazeth:  The ferret climbs into bed. “Goodnight.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins and pats her on the arm, rolling over so his back is to her. “‘Night, Jozra…”

Yazeth: Jozra pulls the covers up to her chin and promptly falls asleep.

Arrin Woodgreen: It takes him a bit longer, but he falls asleep as well.  He wakes up in the middle of the night and mutters something about too much tea before leaving the room.

Yazeth: The ferret is awakened by this departure. She lays in the dark and decides not to risk trying to go back to sleep without Soquan. How did she ever get used to those horrible nightmares before?

Arrin Woodgreen:  He comes back a few minutes later and crawls back into bed, unaware that she’s awake. He lies on his back with his arms behind his head. He sighs softly, hid mind wandering.

Yazeth: With the return of the otter, Jozra soon drifts back to sleep.

Arrin Woodgreen: He remains awake, suddenly alert for some reason. Something was bugging him, but what?

Yazeth: The ferret dreams lightly of miles and miles of sand.

Arrin Woodgreen: He reminisces about the past when he could see. But now, being blind sometimes makes him feel a bit inadequate.

Yazeth: Forget Blaine, which she has never seen, this place was home.

Arrin Woodgreen: Finally after a good half hour of brooding, the otter turns over and goes to sleep.

Yazeth: The ferret sleeps soundly, dreaming intermittently about the desert.

]]> https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/264/feed 0 Chapter 26: The Clearing https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/262 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/262#respond Mon, 10 Feb 2014 11:00:35 +0000 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/?p=262

Continue reading]]> Chapter 26: The Clearing

In Which Arrin Has Further Suspicions.

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Yazeth: The trail soon peters out to a small, rarely traveled track as the woods close in around the pair. A few moments later, however, the forest opens up revealing a pleasant grass covered clearing on top of a gently rounded hill.

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins and bounds forward in the longish grass towards the top of the hill.

Yazeth: The ferret follows, enjoying the pleasant scenery. As she nears the hill, she notices Arrin has already arrived and has begun to set out the picnic.

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins and flops down on the ground. “Smells good.”

Yazeth: Arrin grins at the two. “It should. We have some rolls here that are still warm, new salad, some cheeses and crackers and quite a lot of smoked salmon.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Sounds delicious!”

Yazeth: The ferret nods in agreement and helps herself to a roll.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan also grabs a roll and bites into it hungrily.

Yazeth: Arrin stacks a cracker with smoked salmon and cheese and munches away contentedly. After her third cracker, she remembers something and digs into a side pocket of the pack she used to carry all of the food. “Almost forgot. We have a pouch of nuts here too.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins at her from overtop his cracker. “What kind?”

Yazeth:  The otter peers into the pouch to make sure she isn’t forgetting anything. “We have walnuts, almonds, a few acorns, some hazelnuts and beech nuts. All shelled, of course.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs. “You sure did pack a lot.”

Yazeth: Arrin grins as she allows Jozra to take a paw-full of nuts from the pouch.

Arrin Woodgreen: He munches at his lunch some more and grins happily.

Yazeth: Arrin swallows the last of her roll before looking to Jozra. “So, how was the tour?” The ferret smiles back at the otter. “Pretty neat. According to our resident tour guide, this village has quite a history.”

Arrin Woodgreen: Arrin nods. “You bet it does, revolution starters, knights, lots of other things too.”

Yazeth: The ferret nods introspectively, eating a roll that she had stuffed with smoked salmon.

Arrin Woodgreen: With a grin, Soquan reaches over and grabs a hunk of Jozra’s smoked fish and stuffs it into his mouth.

Yazeth: Jozra cocks an eyebrow at Soquan. “Now that wasn’t very nice.”

Arrin merely chuckles and passes the platter of smoked salmon to the ferret.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan grins at her somewhat cheekily and, after swallowing, sticks his tongue out at her.

Yazeth: The ferret makes a little line of mini-sandwiches. Crackers, cheese and lox. Yummy.

Arrin Woodgreen:  After a bit longer, the otter grows full and lays back in the grass.

Yazeth: The ferret lays on her stomach, slowly nibbling on a roll while Arrin settles back into the tall grass to do some cloud watching.

Arrin Woodgreen: The otter closes his eyes, napping lightly.

Yazeth: A little while later, Jozra rouses from her light doze. Warm and full, the ferret lays there for a little longer, letting her mind wander.

Yazeth: She yawns and stretches a little. Then she places her forepaws beneath her and with a slight push with her back feet, she rolls forwards into a standing position.

Arrin Woodgreen: Arrin cracks open an eye at her movement, watching her.

Yazeth: The ferret takes a spread-legged stance and moves slowly yet fluidly.  First reaching towards one toe, feeling each muscle as it moves and then towards the sky. She performs wide, slow sweeps with her arms, ultimately reaching backwards.

With a hop, the ferret is now standing on her forepaws, foot paws up in the air. She holds the handstand for as long as she can, which isn’t as long as it should be, before rolling out of it into a crouched stance.

Arrin Woodgreen: She frowns. “Why did this all look so familiar?”

Yazeth:  Jozra places all four paws firmly on the ground and bends her back, stretching out the muscles in her back and shoulders. She suddenly leaps backwards in a reverse handspring and assumes yet another stance, her eyes closed in concentration, ears flickering.

Arrin Woodgreen: The otter’s mind reels. Where? Where was that from?!

Yazeth:  The ferret begins a series of movements, slowly at first and then quicker ending with the ferret bent at the waist and then reaching for the sun.

Arrin Woodgreen: Something clicks in her mind and the otter sits upright. Her mother had done those stretches when she was alive!

Yazeth: Jozra tucks into half a roll and ends up lying comfortably on her back. She springs back up to her feet, however, when moments later rapping like hammer-blows shatter the stillness.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan is jerked awake at the noise. “Wha?”

Yazeth: The ferret cocks her head, easing out of what was obviously a fighting stance. “Sounds like a woodpecker.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “We don’t get many of them up here.”

Yazeth:  Jozra looks at Soquan curiously. “Really? I thought they were pretty widespread birds.” She lies back down and closes her eyes. She snaps them back open, though, when the rhythm of the tapping suddenly sounds very familiar. Immediately she begins the translation in her mind.

“Scorpions. Trouble in Fifer. Move South. Move South.  Scorpions…” The ferret listens intently, hoping for more, but the message is simple and repeated many times. After nearly half an hour, the woodpecker moves on, its message traveling faintly over the treetops.

Arrin Woodgreen: Unaware of the importance of the bird to her, Soquan pounces on her playfully, sending both him and his friend tumbling down the hillside.

Yazeth: The two land in a heap. Jozra laughs but her heart isn’t into it, still too preoccupied with the urgency of the message. She pauses a moment before turning towards the otter. “Hey Soquan. Remember how I wanted to travel South?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He turns towards her, still flopped overtop her. “Yeah, what about it?”

Yazeth: “Well…” She thinks quickly, trying to remember what she had told him before. “Now that we have the gold, do you think we could head that way? You don’t have to come if you don’t want to, but I’d really like to see my family again soon.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins at her. “We’ll head out tomorrow if it’ll make you happy.

Yazeth: The ferret smiles genuinely, relieved. “Thanks. Now if you’ll excuse me…” She grins mischievously before heaving the otter off of her. She tickles him while he’s down and then sprints back up the hill toward Arrin.

Arrin Woodgreen:  “Oh no you don’t!” He grabs her by the tail as she darts off, yanking her back down.

Yazeth: The ferret squeaks in protest and then squirms out of the otter’s grasp, getting in a few more tickles as she wriggles away.

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs, chasing after her.

Yazeth:  Jozra bounds up the hill, sometimes swerving to escape the otter’s clutches. The pair arrive at the top, out of breath. Arrin laughs as Jozra lightly shoves Soquan and then drops back down into the grass.

Arrin Woodgreen:  Soquan looses footing on a loose piece of turf and tumbles back down the hill.

Yazeth: Arrin and Jozra’s eyes meet and they stifle their laughter. The two scrabble down the hill to the blind otter and help him up, though he doesn’t need the assistance, pretending the whole time that he’s a decrepit old man.

Arrin Woodgreen:  Suddenly, with a grin, the otter shoves the two down the hill again as they near the top.

Yazeth: The two girls hoot with laughter as they roll to a stop. After a moment to catch their breaths, the two start back up the hill.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan sits calmly on top of the hill and picks at their lunch.

Yazeth: The ferret flops back down in the grass while Arrin stomps over to Soquan, playfully shaking her finger at him. “Now that wasn’t very gentlemanly of you, sir!”

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs. “Well if I recall, you’re not much of a lady, or have you forgotten that you once punched a male that was courting you in the face!”

Yazeth: Jozra perks her ears and watches Arrin’s reaction. The otter puffs up. “As I recall, he had it coming to him!”

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs. “He just asked if he could buy you dinner! Poor Deke hasn’t been the same since!”

Yazeth: Arrin looks flustered as she tries to make excuses. “Yes, well, you see…”

Jozra comes to her rescue as she turns and gazes at the sky. “Looks like the sun’s starting to set. Think we should pack up here and head back? And if we’re going to leave in the morning, Soquan, we need time to get prepared.”

Arrin looks mildly surprised. “Leave?”

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan nods. “Aye, Jozra wants to go south and see her family.”

Yazeth: Arrin nods reluctantly. “Suppose I shouldn’t have expected to keep you wanderers home for long. I’ll rustle up some food for you two to take with you once we get back to the house.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He reaches over and hugs his sister. “I won’t be gone for long, I’ll come visit again.”

Yazeth:  Arrin nods and returns the hug before glancing at Jozra. “Can you give me a hand packing this stuff up again?”
The ferret jumps to her feet and moves to help.

Arrin Woodgreen:  Soquan also ambles over to help.

Yazeth: Soon all remnants of their little picnic are packed up into Arrin’s pack. Jozra gathers her boots from where she deposited them at the beginning of their picnic and pulls them onto her feet.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan gathers his things. “I’ll meet you two back at the house, I have to go do something.” He heads down the hill.

Yazeth: Jozra quirks an eyebrow at Arrin who merely shrugs in response. The otter hefts her pack and the two set off back down the trail towards the house, conversing companionably.

]]> https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/262/feed 0 Chapter 25: Arrin’s Suspicions https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/260 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/260#respond Fri, 07 Feb 2014 11:00:33 +0000 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/?p=260

Continue reading]]> Chapter 25: Arrin’s Suspicions

In Which A Ferret’s Disguise is Slipping.

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Yazeth: The morning dawns bright and cold, though as soon as the sun has poked over the tops of the trees, the day begins to warm to a rather comfortable temperature for this time of the year. Jozra, still exhausted from the previous day and night, decides to stay asleep for a while yet and then realizes that in order to make such a decision that she is already awake. She lies comfortably for a while, listening to Soquan breathing steadily next to her and the sounds outside as the town begins to wake up.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan rolls towards her, still deep in slumber. The otter’s arms, which had been draped lightly around her, tighten slightly as he settles into his new position.

Yazeth: The ferret, not wanting to disturb the otter, merely continues listening and allowing her mind to wander. A little while later, she hears Arrin start to move around in the other room. Hoping for some tea and a bit of conscious company, Jozra carefully extracts herself from the otter’s arms and slips out of the room, joining Arrin as she enters the dining room.

Arrin Woodgreen: Arrin smiles as she spots the ferret. “Good morning Jozra, how are you today?”

Yazeth: The ferret pulls up a chair and seats herself at the table. “’Morning. I’m feeling quite rested actually. Er,” the ferret grins sheepishly, “sorry if I startled you and Soquan last night.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She grins at her. “It’s okay. Do you want some tea or something?”

Yazeth: Jozra grins. “You must have read my mind.”

Arrin Woodgreen: The otter chuckles and takes out another mug, placing it in front of her. “Now we just wait for the water to heat.”

Yazeth: The ferret nods and leans back comfortably in her chair. “So did you sleep well?”

Arrin Woodgreen: She shrugs. “I guess so, woke up a couple times during the night though. What about you?”

Yazeth: The ferret makes a face before grinning wearily at the otter. “I suppose you know how the first part of my night went, but after that I can’t complain.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She nods and rises as the water begins to boil. “Well I’m glad Soquan could help you out.”

Yazeth: The ferret’s ears turn a little pinker than usual on the inside as she flushes slightly. “I don’t really understand why I don’t have the nightmares when he’s around.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She shrugs as she returns with the teapot. “I guess you just feel safer around him then you do alone.” She fills her mug, then picks up Jozra’s and fills it. She hands it to her. “Here you go.”

Yazeth: Jozra mulls over Arrin’s words as she takes the mug. “Thanks.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She catches a glimpse of the ferret’s paws and arms and gasps slightly. “Jozra!” She points.

Yazeth: Jozra is startled out of her reverie. “Wha? Oh.” She looks at her paws. Oh sandstorms! Why didn’t she notice that earlier? It seems the dye didn’t set as well as it should have in the damp bath chamber in the caves. How to talk her way out of this one? The ferret frowns and scratches at the back of her wrist where it seems she missed a little dried mud. “How odd.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She reaches for the ferret’s paw to inspect closer. “Let’s see that.”

Yazeth: The ferret can’t do anything but let the otter take her paw without raising further suspicion.

Arrin Woodgreen: She rubs at the powder colored fur, revealing more black on the ferret’s arms. She raises an eyebrow at the ferret. “Care to explain?”

Yazeth: Jozra successfully pulls off a properly astonished face. “I haven’t a clue. There was a black walnut tree over the pool where we washed our hands before eating. Could that have done this though?”

Arrin Woodgreen: She taps her foot paw, pulling off a very convincing ‘disappointed mother’ look. No, it couldn’t. Are you sure there’s nothing you wanna tell me, Jozra?”

Yazeth: The ferret shrugs helplessly. “I’ve no idea why my paws are like this.”

Arrin Woodgreen: Still holding her by the wrist, she rises and walks into the kitchen, pulling Jozra behind her. She takes a bucket of water and places it on the counter. “Wash your paws.”

Yazeth: Jozra cocks her head at Arrin for a moment before moving towards the bucket, calculating wildly the entire time but not letting an inch of it show. Not good. Not good at all. She’d come to like Arrin and Soquan quite a lot and would hate to have to do something… drastic, just to stay undercover. Fortunately the water is cool and does little to remove the dye. If anything, it blends it a little bit.

Arrin Woodgreen: Arrin sighs as she watches the stuff smudge. “Jozra, please tell me the truth, you’re not a regular ferret, are you?”

Yazeth: Dammit! The ferret looks around at the otter with her paws still in the water and her face neutral. “No. I’m not. But…” Something cold flashes in the ferret’s eyes but her voice remains steady, “…it’s imperative that nobody else knows. Understand?”

Arrin Woodgreen: She nods. “Of course. But I don’t see what’s so bad about it.”

Yazeth: Jozra turns away to find a towel with which to dry her paws. “It shouldn’t be. But there are some beasts who are highly suspicious of ferrets that look like me.” There. That much was the truth at least.

Arrin Woodgreen: She nods. “Alright, I understand.”

Yazeth: The ferret nods curtly before downing the rest of her tea. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go fix this.” She raises a paw and smirks.

Arrin Woodgreen: She nods and sips her drink. “Go ahead.”

Yazeth: The ferret exits the room and returns to the guest room where Soquan is still sleeping. As quietly as she can manage, she begins on a thorough reapplication of her disguise.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan wakes up at the shuffling sounds in the room. “Wha-”

Yazeth: The ferret grins cheerfully, still in the midst of applying the setting solution. “Good morning. Sleep well?” Only two and a half seasons and already she was running low on the solution. Well, she’d just have to avoid future hot baths then. Pity.

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods, stretching with a loud yawn. “Yes, very well. What about you?”

Yazeth: Jozra carefully caps the solution and begins rubbing it into her fur. “Pretty good.  Arrin’s got some tea ready if you want some, though she may have to reheat it a little.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He shrugs. “I’m fine for now.” He kicks off the blankets, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

Yazeth: The ferret nods, inspecting her forepaws and arms. “Thought I’d straighten up my belongings a bit before breakfast.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Good idea.” He rises and begins to make the bed.

Yazeth: Jozra turns and examines her mask in the mirror, folding her spare set of clothing and stacking them neatly on the wardrobe before stooping to examine her foot-paws and tail tip on the pretext of picking something up off of the floor.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan finishes with the bed and begins to unpack his bag also.

Yazeth: Satisfied with this less hasty reapplication, the ferret begins to go through her things in earnest. Perturbed that she had somehow allowed herself to be completely disarmed at one point, she conceals several of the small black knives on her person. She hangs her cloak up on a hook and stows the disguise kit back into an easily overlooked pocket in her pack.

Arrin Woodgreen: Feeling a bit more awake and chipper, he slips up behind her, placing his paws on her waist and his chin on her shoulder. He grins at her happily. “Hello beautiful.”

Yazeth: The ferret raises an eyebrow in amusement. “And how, exactly, do you know that I’m beautiful?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins some more. “I just do.”

Yazeth: Jozra grins, allowing herself to be flattered for a moment before moving away from Soquan to gather her boots from the side of the bed.

Arrin Woodgreen: He chuckles and pulls her back. “What? No ‘Thank you?’ No, ‘Aw, Soquan, that’s sweet of you to say?’”

Yazeth: The ferret laughs. “It is sweet of you to say.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins and tickles her. “Much better.”

Yazeth: Jozra squirms away. “Ack! What did I tell you about the tickling?!”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “I thought that was only for last night.” He tackles her playfully onto the soft, just made bed.

Yazeth: The ferret attempts a roll across the bed to avoid being trapped under Soquan and lands in a heap on the other side. For a moment, the ferret’s face hardens. That wasn’t a hard move at all and she flubbed it. ‘I’m losing my edge…’ For the otter’s benefit, though, she laughs and scrabbles to her feet. “I haven’t even had breakfast yet, though!”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins and leaps again. “So? Your point?”

Yazeth: The ferret dodges. That, at least, she was able to pull off. “My point is it’s bad form to tickle someone with an empty stomach.” She grins cheekily and adds a rather bad impression of a hare’s “Wot wot?”

Arrin Woodgreen:  He lands on the floor with a thud and rises, grumbling darkly. “Fine.  I’ll leave you alone for now.”

Yazeth: Jozra winces at the thud. “You okay?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He brushes himself off. “I’m fine, I just miscalculated.”

Yazeth: The ferret nods as she straightens up the bed again. She knows how that goes. “I wonder if Arrin needs any help in the kitchen.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs. “Most likely, no. If I know her, she’ll probably already have it done.”

Yazeth: Jozra chuckles. “True. Well,” she glances around the room, “looks like we’re done straightening up here.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Alright then, on to the kitchen.” He picks her up and slings her over his shoulder, carrying her out of the room.

Yazeth: The ferret protests feebly but allows herself to be carried out of the room. Arrin grins when she sees the pair.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan smiles at his sister. “Look who I found complaining of hunger. Looks like we better feed her.”

Yazeth: The ferret chuckles as she’s set back down on her feet. “In my own defense, I wasn’t exactly complaining. Just stating that I was rather peckish.”

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan laughs and Arrin looks amused. “I guess I better feed you both then. Breakfast’s ready anyway.”

Yazeth: The ferret rubs her paws together and sits down in the chair she had claimed earlier. “Oh goodie.”

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan chuckles and sits also, digging into the meal.

Yazeth: Jozra and Arrin quickly follow Soquan’s lead and dig in as well.

Arrin Woodgreen:  He eats the meal happily, enjoying himself a lot.

Yazeth: The ferret obviously enjoys the meal that Arrin has prepared and quickly finishes her breakfast.

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins at the ferret across the table. “So what do you want to do today?”

Yazeth: The ferret shrugs as she carries her dishes to the counter for Arrin. “I don’t know. Perhaps you can give me a tour of your village. I only really saw the market.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Sure, that sounds good.”

Yazeth: Arrin looks out the window. “Tell you what, guys. It’s a great day out there, how about you both meet me at the clearing around noon and we can have a picnic lunch. You know which one I’m talking about, right Soquan?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Of course, how could I forget?”

Yazeth: The ferret grins at Arrin. “Sounds like a plan. Shall we go then, Soquan?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Sure.” He puts away his plate and heads for the door to retrieve his staff and cloak.

Yazeth: Jozra takes her cloak and debates for a second before putting her boots on.

Arrin Woodgreen: He waits for her by the door, fiddling with his staff slightly.

Yazeth: The ferret is soon ready and joins the otter by the door. “Lead on then.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins and takes her by the arm, leading her outside.

Yazeth: The ferret allows herself to be led and soon the pair are walking along a well traveled path.

Arrin Woodgreen: He leads her along the paths through the village slowly, stopping to point out things here and there, sometimes teling a story behind the place.

Yazeth: Jozra listens intently and occasionally asks questions. A few things strike her as almost familiar, but she can’t quite place why. It’s as though she heard about it in a story somewhere. he ferret doesn’t comment on this, though, and continues listening to Soquan’s tour.

Arrin Woodgreen:  He continues to do this, making his way around the village. Noon arrives and he alters his route towards the clearing for their lunch.

]]> https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/260/feed 0 Chapter 24: Comforting After The Nightmare https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/258 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/258#respond Wed, 05 Feb 2014 11:00:38 +0000 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/?p=258

Continue reading]]> Chapter 24: Comforting After The Nightmare

In Which Jozra’s Nightmares Are Back With A Vengeance.

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Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan enters and flops down beside Jozra. Arrin grins, “So tell me what happened to you guys.” Soquan nods and proceeds to tell her about their recent ‘Adventures.’

Yazeth: As Soquan tells the tale, Jozra occasionally interjects with a detail or comment, but as time passes she becomes more tired and soon she’s sleeping quite soundly with her head on Soquan’s shoulder. Long days and rambunctious otters really can wear one out.

Arrin Woodgreen: It takes him a while to notice. “So here we are with this horde of mice coming at us an-” He pauses, looking over to Jozra. “Joz?”

Yazeth: The ferret merely twitches her nose in her sleep.

Arrin Woodgreen: He chuckles softly. “I’ll be right back Arrin.” Shifting the ferret as little as possible, he lifts her up gently, carrying her down the hall.

Yazeth: Jozra, surprisingly enough, doesn’t wake.  There’s something to be said about being in the company of friends to put one at ease.

Arrin Woodgreen: Laying her down gently, he slowly unlaces her boots, slipping them off of her feet carefully. He then puts them to the side and pulls the blankets up around her shoulders, tucking her in. He nuzzles her cheek somewhat affectionately before rising and leaving the room quietly. “Goodnight Jozra.”

Yazeth: The ferret merely snuggles down into the blankets, still sleeping soundly.

Arrin Woodgreen: He returns to the living room. “Now where was I?  Oh yeah, the army of mice…”

Yazeth: As the two otters talk on into the night, the ferret sleeps soundly. At least at first.  At some point or another, something again twinges in the back of her mind. Flames lick up and swirl across her mind’s eye.  Somewhere, somebody screams. If her nightmares the night before were bad, it was largely due to them no longer being horribly familiar.  Tonight they returned with crushing detail.

The ferret squirmed in her sheets as she watched Azrun take another arrow, grimace at his distasteful task, set it alight and then in a flaming arc onto the thatched roof of a building. Several more village beasts, some helping along the very ill, flooded out, trying to escape the flames. Jozra spun and nailed several with her tiny black daggers. They screamed in terror and reversed their direction, trying to escape elsewhere. There was no escape.

Jozra tosses and moans in horror at her own deed. More arrows shower into the village and in Arrin’s house, the ferret screams with the squirrel dying in her dreams.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan jumps, his fur standing on end. “What in the seasons was that?”

Arrin Woodgreen: Arrin shakes her head. “I don’t know, but it came from your room.” Soquan rises quickly and moves as quickly as he can to the said room, opening the door.

Yazeth: Jozra thrashes at the sheets, ending up precariously close to sliding off of the bed. Unfortunately, her own scream did not wake her.

Arrin Woodgreen: He moves swiftly over to Jozra’s sleeping form, shaking her gently. “Jozra? Jozra wake up!”

Yazeth: The ferret jerks awake and makes a grab for where her long dagger should be.  She stares at Soquan with haunted eyes before recognition clicks in and she sags against him.

Arrin Woodgreen: He hugs he close and sits on the bed, pulling her against himself. “It’s okay, it’s over, the dream’s over…”

Yazeth: She nods jerkily as she buries her head into his shoulder. ‘But that’s just the thing,’ a voice in her mind cries out, ‘it is over. An entire town… slaughtered.’  She shudders and clings tightly to the otter.

Arrin Woodgreen: He rubs the ferret’s back, rocking her gently. Arrin knocks softly on the now closed door. “Is everything okay in there? Soquan replies, “Yeah, everything’s under control.”

Yazeth: After a while Jozra sighs. Then something piques her curiosity. This isn’t where she fell asleep… Furrowing her brow in confusion she asks, “Did I wake you up?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He shakes his head. “No, I was talking to Arrin still.” His paw continues to rub her back. “Your scream scared the heck out of me and made my fur stand on end.”

Yazeth: This makes Jozra look up. “Scream?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Yeah.”

Yazeth: “Huh.” She takes a moment to look around. “Looks like I really made a mess of the bed.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs lightly. “It’s okay, you were really thrashing around.”

Yazeth: The ferret nods silently. After a moment she mentions, “I could really use a glass of water or something.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “I’ll go get you one.” He gently un-clings her from himself and heads for the kitchen.

Yazeth: Jozra sits still for a moment, surveying the ‘damage.’ She recalls the grab she made for her long dagger and looks around to see where that ended up. Spying it with the rest of her stuff she nods to herself. It’s fine there. She’s afraid of what she would have done if it had been on her before she realized who the otter was.

Arrin Woodgreen: He returns a few minutes later with a glass of water and sits on the edge of the bed. “Here you go.”

Yazeth: She takes the glass from him and downs it all almost immediately. “Thanks.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He smiles at her. “Anytime.”

Yazeth: The ferret nods and hands the glass back.

Arrin Woodgreen: He puts the glass on the bedside table and looks towards her, putting an arm around her shoulder. “So are you okay now? That must have been some dream.”

Yazeth: Jozra hesitates a second before nodding her head. “I’m fine now.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins slightly and hugs her again. “Don’t scare me like that again okay?”

Yazeth: She nods again. “I’ll try not to.” She frowns a second and then looks at Soquan.  “It seems… I used to have these dreams. I guess I got used to them. They kind of went away after we started traveling together.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “I understand.”

Yazeth: The ferret blinks absently. “Yeah.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He leans back slightly. “It seems I’ll have to be more careful on leaving you alone when you’re asleep I guess.”

Yazeth: She sighs heavily but nods.

Arrin Woodgreen: He draws her a bit closer and rubs her back. “Get some rest, I’ll be right here ’till morning.”

Yazeth: Jozra yawns broadly and mumbles. “Good… idea…”

Arrin Woodgreen: He pays back against the pillows and closes his eyes. “Goodnight.”

Yazeth: She nods yet again, though quite sleepily this time. “’Night.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He snuggles a bit closer, rapidly dozing off.

Yazeth: Surprisingly enough, the ferret drops off quite quickly, clearly exhausted from the long journey, rambunctious afternoon and the hardly restful few hours of sleep she already had.

Arrin Woodgreen: He mumbles something inaudibly and drops off to sleep.

]]> https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/258/feed 0 Chapter 23: Warm Welcome https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/256 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/256#respond Mon, 03 Feb 2014 11:00:12 +0000 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/?p=256

Continue reading]]> Chapter 23: Warm Welcome

In Which Tickles Are Unfair.

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Arrin Woodgreen: Later that day, as the sky grows dark, Soquan climbs the steps to Arrin’s house. He knocks softly and opens the door. “Arrin? We’re home.”

Yazeth: Jozra smiles at her friend’s sister as she comes to the door. “Hope we didn’t make you worry over much.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She hugs them both. “I was worried when the storm came, but Soquan’s resourceful. I knew deep down that you two where alright.”

Yazeth: The ferret nods. “We were able to find a small cave to take shelter in.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She nods. “Good, well, I’ve already eaten, and you two look hungry. I could fix you something if you want.”

Yazeth: Jozra grins. “That would be wonderful, Arrin.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She smiles. “Good, anything in particular you’re in the mood for?”

Yazeth: The ferret shakes her head. “I don’t know about Soquan but I could go for just about anything!”

Arrin Woodgreen: He shrugs. “I really don’t care either.” Arrin thinks. “How about some scones and potatoes?” Soquan can’t help but laugh at this.

Yazeth: Jozra laughs as well. “Sounds good, Arrin.”

Arrin Woodgreen: Arrin eyes Soquan. “What’s so funny?”

Yazeth: The ferret grins as she replies. “Trey’s cooks sent along some baked potatoes and scones with us, so we had that for lunch.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She nods. “Oh! Well I can make something else if you want. Fried fish, I can heat up some soup, or a mushroom pasty with some gravy.”

Yazeth: Jozra laughs. “It all sounds so good. Really, I’m not picky.”

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan licks his lips. “That pasty sounds good.”

Yazeth:  The ferret nods in agreement.

Arrin Woodgreen: “Okay, I’ll be a few minutes then.” She walks into the kitchen.

Yazeth: Jozra grins impishly at Soquan. “On second thought, I might see about your sister cooking for me more often than you.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins mischievously and pounces on her, his pack now discarded on the floor along with his staff.

Yazeth: The ferret laughs as she’s knocked into the couch. “Hey, watch it there you big river-beast!”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins and stays where he is, tickling her.

Yazeth: “Ack!” She wriggles away from him. “No fair! No tickling!”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins at her. “Then do something about it!” He continues to tickle her, basically sitting on top of her.

Yazeth: Jozra shoves against the otter, sneaking in a few tickles when she can. “Hoo!  I won’t… be able… to eat.. if I can’t… BREATHE!!”

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs and falls to the floor, taking the ferret with him, although, now she’s on top of him.

Yazeth: The ferret shoves the otter playfully before staggering to her feet. “Oooh… Whatever Arrin is doing in the kitchen sure smells good.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins playfully and tackles her again before replying. “It sure does.”

Yazeth: “Ooof! I never should have let you doze off during our picnic!”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “And why not?”

Yazeth: “Because,” she struggles to her feet, “now you’ve had a rest and I haven’t!”

Arrin Woodgreen: He smiles. “Hmm, so you want me to give you a break?”

Yazeth: The ferret grins. “Well it’s the least you could do for this poor starving ferret.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He stops. “Alright then.” He rises to his feet.

Yazeth: Jozra breathes a sigh of relief. “I was afraid you were going to tickle me all night.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “What can I say? I feel generous tonight.”

Yazeth: The ferret laughs then looks up as Arrin enters the room.

Arrin Woodgreen: She eyes the two. “Err… Am I interrupting?”

Yazeth: Jozra chuckles and shakes her head. “He was just insisting on tickling me. Tell me, was he just as rambunctious as a kit?”

Arrin Woodgreen: She laughs. “Sometimes.” Soquan glowers at her, causing her laughs some more. “Dinner’s ready.”

Yazeth: The ferret grins as she hops up. “I was just commenting to Soquan that whatever you were making smelled good.”

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan grins and darts into the kitchen.

Yazeth: Jozra follows, though at a bit more subdued pace.

Arrin Woodgreen: By the time Jozra arrives, Soquan is already scarfing down his meal.

Yazeth: The ferret takes her own place and begins to wolf down her dinner just as hungrily.  She pauses moment, chews and swallows before complimenting Arrin on the delicious fare and then resumes eating.

Arrin Woodgreen: Arrin smiles and watches as the two eat. “I’ll be in the living room when you’re done.”

Yazeth: Jozra nods without pausing her scoffing.

Arrin Woodgreen: He finishes a few minutes later and leans back in his chair, sighing contentedly.

Yazeth: A few minutes after that the ferret finishes cleaning her plate. “That was delicious.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods and grabs her plate. “Meet you in the living room?”

Yazeth: Jozra nods. “Okay.” She stands and wanders into the living room, smiling at Arrin as she settles herself on one end of the couch. “That was wonderful, Arrin.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She smiles at the ferret. “I’m glad you enjoy my cooking.”

Yazeth: The ferret grins and settles herself deeper into the soft couch.

]]> https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/256/feed 0 Chapter 5: Preparations https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/73 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/73#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:08:02 +0000 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/?p=73

Continue reading]]> Chapter 5: Preparations

In Which the Companions Head In to Town to Gather Supplies.

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Catamount says: Eventually the sky outside begins to lighten and the ferret slowly begins to wake.

Arrin says: The otter remains asleep at her side, one arm flopped lightly around her middle.

Catamount says: Jozra silently examines her surroundings for a moment. She smiles a little at the otter before slipping out from under his arm and off of the bed. Standing now, she stretches a bit.

Arrin says: The otter gives a sudden snort and rolls over in his sleep, mumbling something as he settles back down into a new position.

Catamount says: The ferret chuckles softly and then turns to inspecting her possessions.  It would be a good idea to find out what she has and what she’ll need for the trip into the mountain.

Arrin says: Soquan wakes up not long after, stretching out his muscles with a large yawn.  After taking a quick note of his surroundings, he smiles. “Mornin’ Jozra.”

Catamount says: “Good morning, Soquan. How’d you sleep?”

Arrin says: He stretches. “S’the best sleep I had in a while, what about you?”

Catamount says: She grins and bobs her head. “Pretty good, actually. I suppose the beds in those inns were just too soft.”

Arrin says: He laughs. “Well I’m glad…”

Catamount says: The ferret glances over her stuff. “So what do we do first today?”

Arrin says: He slumps out of bed and yawns. “First we grab some breakfast, then we hit the town.”

Catamount says: Jozra nods. “Right-o. Lead on then.”

Arrin says: He nods. “Okay.” He shuffles his way out of the room and towards the kitchen where a breakfast is already laid out for them.  Arrin greets them with a smile.”  “Mornin’ you two.”

Catamount says: Jozra nods and grins at Arrin. “Good morning.  Breakfast smells delicious!”

Arrin says: She grins. “It tastes even better.  I trust you two slept well?” Soquan nods. “Aye, we did.”

Catamount says: The ferret nods in agreement, eyeing the food set on the table.

Arrin says: Arrin chuckles as she watches the ferret. “Go ahead, dig in, I’ve already eaten.”

Catamount says: Jozra grins and sits herself at the table, digging into the breakfast heartily.

Arrin says: Soquan sits at his place next to her and eats the meal just as eagerly.

Catamount says: The ferret pauses long enough to comment to Arrin. “It’s delicious!”

Arrin says: She blushes faintly. “It’s nothing really, I learned it all from mum, she was a wonderful cook, she said most ferr-” Soquan cut her off, a serious tone in his voice. “Arrin…” She clears her throat. “Right… Can I get you anything else?”

Catamount says: Jozra flicks her ear but doesn’t outwardly acknowledge the slip up, though she does file it away for future reference.  She smiles again at Arrin. “Everything’s wonderful; I can’t imagine what else I would need.”

Arrin says: She grins. “Something to drink perhaps?”

Catamount says: The ferret shakes her head slightly. “Nope, I’m fine.  Thank you anyway.”

Arrin says: She nods. “Okay.” Soquan pushes over a plate of what looks like very thin pancakes and some jam. “Try some of these, they’re great.”

Catamount says: Jozra samples a bit of the dish. “Mmm, you’re right, Soquan.”

Arrin says: He laughs. “Have I ever not been?”

Catamount says: The ferret grins. “You’ve got me there.”

Arrin says: He laughs and finishes off his breakfast before standing. “Almost ready to go?”

Catamount says: She polishes off the rest of her breakfast and nods. “Yep.  Thanks again for the meal, Arrin.”

Arrin says: She nods. “No problem.” Soquan waits by the door, his staff now held in one paw.

Catamount says: Jozra stands and then joins Soquan at the door. “So, where to now?”

Arrin says: He grins. “To Tor’s shop to get you fitted for some new clothes.”

Catamount says: The ferret nods. “All right then, on to Tor’s.”

Arrin says: He opens the door and steps outside, offering his arm in a mocking manner.  “My arm, madam?”

Catamount says: The ferret chuckles and places her paw on the otter’s arm. “Lead on.”

Arrin says: He leads her through the village, pausing only to greet some other beasts, or to point out a certain location.  When they reach the shop, the squirrel behind the booth grins broadly. “Soquan! I see you’ve come back to us.” The otter laughs. “Aye, I have, but not for long.”

Catamount says: Jozra stands quietly beside the otter.

Arrin says: Tor grins, nodding at Jozra. “G’mornin’ miss.” He turns back to Soquan. “Just like your father, ain’t you? Reminds me so much of when he came home with your mother, so many beasts were opposed to him marryin’ a ferre-” Soquan coughs politely, cutting the shopkeeper off. “We’re heading up to the mountains.  My friend here needs some clothing fit for the trip…”

Catamount says: This time Jozra can’t keep her face still and she raises an eyebrow before pretending to ignore the comment. “Aye, all of my good northlands clothes are well used and wouldn’t keep me warm enough if we were to be caught in a storm…”

Arrin says: The shopkeeper nods. “Yes, yes, right this way ma’am, we’ll take some measurements…”

Catamount says: The ferret follows the squirrel to be fitted.

Arrin says: The squirrel takes out a measuring tape and begins to take measurements around certain places. After he records them all, he smiles. “I think I have just the right thing…” He disappears into the very back and emerges holding a couple tunics and leggings. “Try them on and tell me which ones fit better.”

Catamount says: Jozra takes the tunics and leggings and goes into a fitting room.  After a bit she emerges wearing the pair that fits best. “These fit pretty good. What do you think?”

Arrin says: He nods. “Aye, they look good, I can do a bit better if you want…” He disappears again and emerges with another set of clothing. “Try this.”

Catamount says: The ferret shrugs, examining the outfit in a mirror while twitching the cuffs here and there. “Actually, this is pretty good.  I like it. Though there’s no hurt in trying on some more…” She takes the new set and goes back into the fitting room.

Arrin says: He waits for her, leaning against the wall.

Catamount says: Jozra emerges again wearing the new set. “It does fit a bit closer, though the other set wasn’t too bad in the fitting either.  Sort of comfortably, slightly baggy.”

Arrin says: He looks her over. “So what do you think?”

Catamount says: The ferret nods. “Pretty good, though I can’t quite decide between the two of them…”

Arrin says: He grins. “Take both of them then.  Now come on, you can grab the other things and your old clothes from the change room.”

Catamount says: The ferret grins back. “Okay.” She retrieves her older set of clothing and follows the squirrel back to the front.

Arrin says: Soquan grins as he hears them approaching. “How did it go?”

Catamount says: Jozra folds her old clothes. “Well, I ended up with a good fit and a spare set of clothing.”

Arrin says: His grin remains. “Great, how much do I owe you Tor?” The squirrel smiles.  “Never mind about that, it’s on the house.”

Catamount says: The ferret raises her eyebrows. “That’s… that’s most kind of you, Mr. Tor.”

Arrin says: Soquan smiles. “Aye, thank you Tor.” He turns to Jozra. “Shall we continue on then?”

Catamount says: Jozra nods. “Seems we got everything we need here. Where to now?”

Arrin says: He shrugs. “We should get some food for the trip.”

Catamount says: The ferret nods again. “Good idea. Where would be the best place to get that?”

Arrin says: He offers his arm again. “The market.”

Catamount says: “All right then. Lead on.”

Arrin says: He leads her further down the road. “So what should we bring with us?  Bread?  Cheese?”

Catamount says: The ferret looks about the town curiously. “I’ve found in my travels that cheese doesn’t keep very long, though it’s good to have at first.  Bread keeps longer but gets too hard after a while… I don’t suppose they have any dried fruit?”

Arrin says: He nods. “Aye, and we’ll only be there for a day or so.”

Catamount says: Jozra nods as well. “Bread and cheese it is, then.”

Arrin says: He looks at her hopefully. “Maybe a bit of fish?”

Catamount says: The ferret grins. “Fish? Sure!”

Arrin says: He grins. “What kind then salmon? Tuna? Trout?”

Catamount says: Jozra smiles. “We’ll you’re the otter and hence the expert. What would you choose?”

Arrin says: He licks his lips. “I dunno, it all sounds so good…”

Catamount says: The ferret chuckles. “Let’s go with the salmon then.”

Arrin says: He gives a happy couple of bounds and a joyful whoop. “Good choice!”

Catamount says: Jozra laughs.

Arrin says: He sniffs the air and guides her in a different direction. “The bakery’s this way.”

Catamount says: The ferret follows, an amused expression on her face.

Arrin says: Once they reach they reach the shop, he opens the door for her, following her inside. He gropes at his belt, finding the pouch almost immediately. “Two loaves of bread please.”

Catamount says: The shopkeeper pulls down two loaves and hands them to Jozra, turning to Soquan for payment.

Arrin says: He pulls out the correct amount of money and pays the beast. “Thank you.”  He turns for the door.

Catamount says: Jozra tucks the loaves under her arm and exits the building. “So where do we get the cheese?”

Arrin says: He frowns. “We have to walk along the stalls now.   Tell me when you see a stand.” They walk.

Catamount says: After a bit the two happen upon a stand with a merchant selling cheese. “Here’s one, Soquan.”

Arrin says: He nods, turning towards the vendor. “I need a wheel of cheddar cheese please.” The vendor nods and hands Soquan the cheese once it’s paid for.

Catamount says: The ferret takes the cheese and tucks it under her other arm. “To the fish stalls now, I suppose?”

Arrin says: He nods. “Of course, do you want me to carry anything?”

Catamount says: She chuckles.  “Probably the fish, now that my arms are full.”

Arrin says: He nods yet again. “Okay.”

Catamount says: Jozra glances around.  “So… which way to the fish stalls?”

Arrin says: He sticks his muzzle skyward, sniffing the air, he turns right sharply. “This way.”

Catamount says: The ferret grins.  “I knew I could trust your nose.” She follows the otter.

Arrin says: He grins. “The smell’s getting stronger; can you see anything yet?”

Catamount says: The ferret gazes around at the booths.  “Not yet… Oh! There it is.”  She leads the way to the stall selling fish.

Arrin says: He follows, his paw already going for his coin pouch.

Catamount says: “Here we are.” She looks at the otter behind the stall.

Arrin says: She grins at the two. “What can I get for you, mate?” Soquan grins broadly. “G’mornin’ Ari, I need some salmon please, just enough for a day or so.” She nods. “O’course.” She cuts and wraps some fish for the two and Soquan pays. “Thank you, Ari.”

Catamount says: Jozra nods to Ari and then looks to Soquan. “Now where?”

Arrin says: He grins. “Now back home for some water and our packs, then we can head off.”

Catamount says: Jozra hefts the bread and cheese. “Alright then, back to your place.”

 

]]> https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/73/feed 1 Chapter 4: Bedroom Arguments https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/69 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/69#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:54:50 +0000 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/?p=69

Continue reading]]> Chapter 4: Bedroom Arguments

In Which Soquan and Jozra Settle Who Gets to Take the Spare Bed.

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Arrin says: After the meal is finished, Arrin clears the table. “I’m sorry to say I’m not really used to having guests, not for very long anyway. I’m afraid that there’s only one extra bed, you two will have to work something out.”

Catamount says: The ferret grins. “I’m used to sleeping on the ground, and the floor, or even that chair over there, looks plenty comfortable for me.” She chuckles. “I remember one night at an inn after a couple of seasons on the road; I actually preferred the floor to the bed!”

Arrin says: Soquan chuckles. “Oh no you don’t, you’re the guest, you get the bed.”

Catamount says: Jozra sputters a bit, but eventually she sheepishly concedes to taking the bed.

Arrin says: He chuckles, throwing an arm around her shoulder in a friendly manner.  “There, that wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

Catamount says: The ferret mutters amiably. “Well… Not too horrible I suppose.”

Arrin says: He laughs. “Oh come on, is it really that bad?”

Catamount says: She chuckles. “Well, when you’ve spent as much time on the road as I have, you get used to certain things.  Soft beds aren’t one of them.”

Arrin says: He continues laughing. “I think I’ve been on the road as long as you, and it’s always nice to rest your overstrained muscles and just flop down on a nice, soft bed, with thick blankets and…” He trails off dreamily.

Catamount says: Jozra shoves Soquan just ever so slightly. “Well if you’re looking forward to it that much, you should take the bed!”

Arrin says: He chuckles. “We’re both full grown adults, I’m sure nothing will happen if you take one side and I take the other…”

Catamount says: The ferret shrugs. “I suppose. I’m afraid I was rather automatically assuming the bed to be too narrow. Most of the beds I’ve seen lately would probably be more accurately described as cots.”

Arrin says: He chuckles. “Nope, this is a nice, double sized bed.” Arrin shuffles into the room, yawning and stretching.  “I dun know about you two, but I’m bushed…”

Catamount says: The ferret stretches. “All right then, it shouldn’t be a problem.” She surprises herself by yawning.

Arrin says: Soquan also stretches, and this time rises. “It is getting late, and you and I have things to do tomorrow before we head to the mountains, Jozra.”

Catamount says: She nods and stands as well. “Um, lead on then, to this thing you refer to as a ‘bed.’” She cracks a grin.

Arrin says: He laughs and throws an arm around her shoulders once again. “C’mon then.” He leads her down the hall.  Once they reach the room, he pushes open the door to reveal that the bed is indeed, a decent bed, he grins at her in a childish manner.  “Last one there is a piece of moldy cheese!” He runs a few steps before taking at leap at the mattress.

Catamount says: The ferret is slightly startled, forgetting for a second that the blind otter is quite familiar with his surroundings. She grins. “Well I suppose I must be moldy cheese. Be glad I’m not a part of your lunch!” She saunters up to the bed.

Arrin says: He grins and climbs in on one side, settling down into the blankets. “Remind me in the morning that we have to go get you some thicker clothes, the weather up here can get pretty harsh.”

Catamount says: Jozra mulls that over a bit. “I suppose your right.  Everything I wore in the wastes is now rather threadbare…”

Arrin says: Hearing her nearby, he scoots over to give her room. “Exactly… I know a guy, he’ll be happy to help out.”

Catamount says: The ferret settles on her side of the bed. “Oh good.”

Arrin says: He yawns and rolls over so his backs facing her. “G’night Jozra.” He closes his eyes, seemingly unaffected by the growing coldness inside the room.

Catamount says: Jozra stretches out with her paws behind her head. “Goodnight.”

Arrin says: He yawns once again staring to doze off. “See you in the morning…”

Catamount says: The ferret mumbles in return.

Arrin says: He wakes with a start in the middle of the night as a loud bang comes from outside, he sits up with a start, his ears twitching a few times before he settles back down. “Just a tree exploding…”

Catamount says: The ferret is jerked awake by the sound but soon falls back to sleep.

Arrin says: He yawns and falls back asleep, unconsciously curling close to the warmth of his bedmate.

 

]]> https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/69/feed 1 Chapter 3: Meeting Arrin https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/58 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/archives/58#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:36:30 +0000 https://crossed-paths.com/logs/?p=58

Continue reading]]> Chapter 3: Meeting Arrin

In Which Soquan Takes Jozra to His Hometown.

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Arrin Woodgreen: The otter grins happily as the smell of wood smoke fill his nose. “Man, there’s nothing like a familiar surrounding to relax a guy!” The village is a small one, a place where everybody knows each other. The houses, it seems are meant for colder weather and the clothes the other beasts wear are heavy, winter coats.

Yazeth: The ferret nods her head and smiles. “Almost like that little town my ma used to send me into to sell spare tomatoes when I was a cub…”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “C’mon… This way…” He turns to his right and stops at a house. He feels cautiously in front of himself, anticipating the steps up to the door.

Yazeth: Jozra watches as the otter climbs the steps with familiarity.  She grins and follows him up.

Arrin Woodgreen: He knocks on the door and after a moment it swings open, revealing a red furred otter. She stands still for only a moment before throwing her arms around the otter nearly knocking him over. “Soquan, it wonderful t’see yeh!” Soquan grins and returns the hug. “It’s good to see you too…”

Yazeth: The ferret stands on the step below the porch, politely keeping her silence.

Arrin Woodgreen: The smaller otter looks over her brother’s shoulder at the ferret.  “Who’s yeh’re friend?” Soquan grins, “That’s Jozra, she saved my life a while ago.”

Yazeth: The ferret grins and bobs her head modestly. “Err, pleased to meet ya.”

Arrin Woodgreen: The female grins and throws an arm around the ferret. “C’mon in then, any friend of Soquan’s is a friend of mine!”

Yazeth: Jozra grins broadly and follows the two otters into the house.

Arrin Woodgreen: She beams at her. “So how did you save my brother? What kind of trouble did he get himself into this time?”

Yazeth: The ferret glances at Soquan first. “There was a band of ruffians trying to rob him.  I ran them off and helped Soquan get everything all back together…”

Arrin Woodgreen: She chuckles. “Well I’m glad you did, I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to my big brother…”

Yazeth: Jozra grins. “He’s been a great traveling companion too.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She grins again. “I’m sure he is…” She pauses. “I was just about to make dinner, how do you feel about spice soup?”

Yazeth: “Sounds delicious!”

Arrin Woodgreen: She continues to grin. “Alright, you two can stay here, I’ll be in the kitchen.” She walks off into the next room.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan chuckles, stepping beside the ferret. “She’s really taken a liking to you.”

Yazeth: The ferret blushes slightly and grins. “I, uh, didn’t catch her name.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs. “She didn’t tell you her name. It’s Arrin.” He motions towards the couch. “Have a seat.”

Yazeth: Jozra meanders towards the couch. “Arrin? Pretty name, that.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Yeah, dad always said that too…”

Yazeth: The ferret settles herself on the couch and looks around the room.

Arrin Woodgreen: He makes his way over, sitting beside her. “So… When do you want to head to the mountains?”

Yazeth: Jozra shrugs. “For some reason, getting rich doesn’t seem as important anymore, though I would like to see these mountains.  How long would it take to get there anyway?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He shrugs. “Just a couple hours.”

Yazeth: The ferret’s ears prick up. “That close?!”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Weren’t you watching as we came into town?”

Yazeth: The ferret chuckles. “Well I saw mountains but I didn’t know it was THOSE mountains.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs. “We’ve been following those mountains for two days; I’m surprised it didn’t occur to you…”

Yazeth: Jozra grins. “Well, when I was traveling up north in the first place, all the directions I got went something along the lines of, ‘Just over the next hill.’ And when I got over the next hill, there was nothing there.” She chuckles. “So I’d find somebody else and ask about my destination and be told the same thing only to find the same nothing.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs. “That sounds very disheartening…”

Yazeth: She chuckles again. “It was a bit at first, but after a while I made it into a game to see how knowledgeable various villagers are of their more than immediate surroundings.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Sounds very amusing.”

Yazeth: She nods. “It kept me entertained.”

–

 

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