define('WP_CACHE', true); Crossed Paths – Logs – Page 7 – The Story Thus Far…

Feb 24

Chapter 32: The Bath House

Chapter 32: The Bath House

In Which Jozra Meets Some Locals.

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Yazeth: The pair make their way down to the main thoroughfare where they had been directed. A few blocks later they happen upon the public Baths.

Arrin Woodgreen: They stand in front of two doors, one marked for males and the other for females. He turns to her. “Well?”

Yazeth: Jozra chuckles and directs Soquan to the male baths. “Think you can get around well enough on your own? Don’t think they’d exactly let me in that one.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Alright, when do you want me to meet you out here?”

Yazeth: “Perhaps in an hour?”

Arrin Woodgreen: His grin remains and he nods. “Plenty of time to soak. See you in a bit.” He slips though the ‘Males Only’ door, disappearing as the door closes behind him.

Yazeth:  Jozra chuckles and moves to her own section. Conscious of the risks of bathing in water that is rather warm, she is pleased to find several different pools with several different temperatures. She tests one with a foot paw to find it cool but not uncomfortably so. The ferret disrobes and slips into the tub.

Arrin Woodgreen: He finds a tub to his liking as well and places his things on the side of it. He slips out of the clothes he’s currently wearing and climbs into the warm water.

Yazeth: Jozra grabs a nearby wash rag and tests the disguised part of one of her legs. The dye does not come off, nor does it smear, and with that reassurance, the ferret sets to washing the road dust off of herself.

Arrin Woodgreen: He too begins to wash off the travel grime. Afterwards, he sighs happily and floats on his back in the bathwater.

Yazeth: Feeling much cleaner, Jozra begins to soak the muscles of her back, shoulder and neck. She feels a tender spot on her ribs and gently probes it. Just a bruise, as she suspected. All the more reason for cool bath water.

Arrin Woodgreen: Having scrubbed nicely, he goes to soak in one of the cold tubs.  He sighs happily as it does wonders for his own bruises.

Meanwhile, a group of four or so females walk into Jozra’s section and seat themselves in a tub, chatting to one another.

Yazeth:  Jozra makes no move to greet them as they seemed to not have noticed her. Instead, she begins working out some of the muscles in her lower back. Perhaps not as battered as her shoulders during the sparring but definitely somewhat sore from traveling while carrying a heavy pack.

Arrin Woodgreen: After some time, one notices the lone ferret. “Oh! Hello there!”

Yazeth: Jozra nods in a friendly manner at the rattess. “Hello.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She smiles and motions towards the pool. “Mind if we join you?”

Yazeth: Jozra nods again. “Sure! It’s not like I’ve specially reserved this pool or anything.” She grins and winks.

Arrin Woodgreen: She laughs and the group makes their way over. The rattess sticks out a paw. “T’name’s Dawn.”

Yazeth:  The ferret shakes Dawn’s paw and introduces herself. “I’m Jozra.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She grins. “It’s wonderful to meet you Jozra.”

Yazeth:  The ferret nods and greets the three other women.

Arrin Woodgreen:  She grins. “So where abouts are you from?”

Yazeth: Jozra settles back to soak. “Well, I’m originally from quite a bit further south. Came up north seeking my fortune and now I’m on my way back home.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She grins. “Well that’s an original tale.”

Yazeth: The ferret grins and nods. “So how about yourselves?”

Arrin Woodgreen: She laughs. “Oh, we’re locals, we live here and we always have.”

Yazeth: Jozra nods and then catches herself, remembering something. “Say, I suppose you would be the ones to ask if there’s a place to cross the river nearby.”

Arrin Woodgreen: She shakes her head. “Sadly, no, the river took out the bridge a couple days ago.”

Yazeth: The ferret frowns momentarily. “I don’t suppose it will be replaced until later this season, huh?”

Arrin Woodgreen: She nods. “Right, but if you travel further along the river, you might find a place to cross.”

Yazeth: Nodding thoughtfully, the ferret thanks Dawn.

Arrin Woodgreen: She nods and leans back to soak.

Feb 21

Chapter 31: The Traveler’s Waypoint

Chapter 31: The Traveler’s Waypoint

In Which The Inn Turns Out To Be Pretty Fancy.

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Yazeth: ‘The Traveler’s Waypoint’ has a large foyer. To the side is a ‘mudroom’ with a shelf full of towels should any visitors be caught in the rain before entering. To the other side is an enclosed reception desk while the rest of the room is occupied with various configurations of tables, chairs and couches. A large fire place stands at the back, near the flight of stairs, and a door opens into what must obviously be the kitchen. The two are definitely in time for lunch.

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Shall I check us in?”

Yazeth: The ferret nods. “Sure thing.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Okay, you’ll go get the food then?”

Yazeth: “Yep.” She moves off to find a table and sets her pack in the chair before moving over towards the kitchen where a long table has been set up with plates full of lunch. Jozra carries two back to the table and waits for Soquan.

Arrin Woodgreen:  Soquan walks over to the front desk and waits for some beast to come over so they can be checked in, and he could eat.

Yazeth: A rat quickly appears at the counter. His friend, who had been lunching with him, chuckles as the flushed rat hurriedly attends to the otter. “Er, sorry about that.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins toothily. “Quite alright. I need a room for two if it’s possible.”

Yazeth: The rat nods and flips through a ledger. “What name shall I put you down for?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He thinks a moment. “Er, put it under Woodgreen.”

Yazeth: Nodding, the rat scribbles in the ledger and fumbles for a set of keys. “Lunch is on the house, dinner is an hour after sundown. I’m afraid we don’t do wake up calls,” he shudders a little, “had rather a bad experience with that. Breakfast is, well, you’ll know when.  Fresh baked bread every morn’.” He screws up his eyes in thought as he places the keys in Soquan’s paw. “Oh yes, and you pay upon checkout. We ask that you stop by the desk every evening that you are here, though.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Okay, thank you.” He turns away from the rat and makes his way into the foyer to search for his friend.

Yazeth: Jozra calls to Soquan. “Over here, mate. There’s nothing in your way.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins as he hears the ferret and heads towards her. He arrives and sits down. “The room’s under Woodgreen.”

Yazeth: She nods and passes his plate over to him. “Eat up. It’s good stuff.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Alright.” He does so, making delicious noises as he wolfs it down.

Yazeth: The ferret quickly eats her own lunch as well.

Arrin Woodgreen: He finishes quickly and leans back, sipping at his beverage.

Yazeth: “I suppose we should head off tomorrow. After breakfast, of course, if they’re breakfasts are as good as their lunches. That gives us plenty of time to restock our supplies too. Did they say when dinner was served?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He sips again. “An hour after sunset.  Are you sure you don’t want to stay an extra day and rest up?”

Yazeth: The ferret shrugs. “I’d rather we reach the more southern lands before it gets too late in the season. Do you know if we can cross the river here?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He shakes his head. “I don’t remember much about this place I’m afraid.”

Yazeth: “That alright. I’m sure we can find out from somebody.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Okay. So do you want to drop off our things and go have a soak?”

Yazeth: The ferret grins. “Yeah. Besides, we need to figure out what we need to get first before we go to market.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods again, rising. “C’mon then.” He picks up the key and his pack.

Yazeth: Jozra hefts her own pack. “Room A5? I’m guessing that’s on the second floor.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Okay, lead the way.”

Yazeth: The ferret leads the way up the stairs and sure enough the first rooms that they find are labled ‘A’. A5 is near the end of the corridor on the right. “Here we are.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He hands her the key. “You better do this.”

Yazeth: Jozra nods, takes the key and turns it in the lock. The door opens to a decent sized room – not too small but not overly large – with a window looking out onto the narrow street and over the building across the way. Two beds dominate the room, though a small washroom is near the door and a few pieces of other furniture are placed wherever they fit but don’t crowd the room.

Arrin Woodgreen: He looks towards her. “Well? How is it?”

Yazeth: The ferret grins in approval. “Quite nice, actually.” She walks in and sets her pack down in a chair and stretches. “I don’t think I could describe it well enough though. You might just want to feel around a bit.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods and does so, getting comfortable with the room.

Yazeth: The ferret walks to the window and checks out the view, working out a knot in her shoulder in the meantime.

Arrin Woodgreen: After a few moments, he seats himself on the edge of the bed. “C’mere.” He pats the place beside him.

Yazeth: Jozra quirks an eyebrow but complies.

Arrin Woodgreen: He moves so he’s sitting behind her and places his paws on his shoulders, working at the knots found there.

Yazeth: The ferret relaxes as her muscles looses. She smiles. “That feels wonderful.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Good.” He keeps going, working at a particularly stubborn knot.

Yazeth: Eventually most of the soreness is worked out of Jozra’s back and the ferret returns the favor.

Arrin Woodgreen:  Soquan makes a soft, pleased noise as the ferret’s paws work at his back. “That feels great.”

Yazeth: Jozra merely nods and grins.

Arrin Woodgreen: His shoulders relax and his head lulls back slightly.

Yazeth: Finding no more knots to work out, Jozra pats the otter on the head and then moves to unpack. “Best find out what we have so we know what we need.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods and rises, opening looking through his pack as well.

Yazeth: Soon the ferret’s spare set of clothing is set on the dresser and what remains of their provisions is spread out on a table.

Arrin Woodgreen: He sets his extra clothing beside him and moves beside the ferret. “So what do we need?”

Yazeth: Jozra appraises what they have before them. The maple bars and fruit are long gone and the last of the rolls were eaten last night. “We have a tiny bag of nuts, enough smoked salmon for maybe two more meals and enough Wandering Cakes to last a week if we rationed. Three days if we don’t.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “I think a re-supply on everything will last us.”

Yazeth: Jozra nods as well. “Shall we go restock then?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “We’ll re-supply first, then a trip to the bathhouses.”

Yazeth: “Alright.” She grabs the key. “You have the coins?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He holds up a small bag. “Right here.”

Yazeth: The two exit the room and Jozra locks the door behind them. She places the key safely in a pocket and leads the way back down the hall and down the stairs.

Arrin Woodgreen: He follows, attaching the coin bag to his belt.

Yazeth: Soon the pair are back in the thick of the market. Jozra leads Soquan to a bakery.

Arrin Woodgreen: He sticks close, reaching for her arm again as they walk.

Yazeth: They purchase a loaf of bread. Any more and it would be stale and hard by the time they ate it. Jozra allows Soquan’s nose to lead the way to the fish booth.

Arrin Woodgreen: Still holding onto his companion, he leads her down the row of booths to the fish stall.

Yazeth: The stall is selling nearly every variety of locally river caught fish – smoked, dried and fresh.

Arrin Woodgreen: His whiskers twitch eagerly as he waits for his companion to order. He fumbles for his money pouch.

Yazeth:  Jozra selects a quantity of smoked salmon and trout.

Arrin Woodgreen: He hands over the payment and turns to the ferret. “What next?”

Yazeth: Jozra thinks for a moment. “Some dried fruit would be good.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Aye, it would.” He sniffs the air and takes her paw, leading her back up the isle of stalls.

Yazeth: The stall next to the fruit stand is one that sells dried fruit. This isn’t lost on Jozra and she chuckles about the juxtaposition.

Arrin Woodgreen: He orders this time, getting out the coin as the tender gets it all ready.

Yazeth: Jozra looks to the otter. “Can you think of anything else we might need?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He thinks. “Maybe some flour so we can make our own bread cakes?”

Yazeth: The ferret nods. “Good idea.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He smiles. “Bakery again?”

Yazeth: Jozra grins. “Seems that way.” She leads the way back to the bakery.

Arrin Woodgreen: He follows, tucking the fruit under his arm.

Yazeth: They quickly arrive back at the bakery, now that they know where it is, and purchase a small bag of flour.

Arrin Woodgreen: He pays and turns to the ferret. “Is that all?”

Yazeth: Jozra checks their packages. “I believe so.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Great, wanna drop them off at the room and head to the bathhouses then?”

Yazeth: She nods. “Sounds like a good idea.”

Arrin Woodgreen:  He walks back with her to the room and unlocks the door to their room himself this time. He places the fruit and flour on the counter and grabs his spare set of clothes.

Yazeth: Jozra sets the other packages of food on the counter as well before grabbing her own extra set of clothing.

Arrin Woodgreen: He grabs the key again and heads for the hallway. “Ready?”

Yazeth: The ferret follows Soquan out. “Yes.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins and shuts the door behind them, walking down the stairs. He nods a greeting to the desk beast before heading out the main door.

Feb 19

Chapter 30: Entering Kodan

Chapter 30: Entering Kodan

In Which The Two Find An Inn.

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Arrin Woodgreen:  He wakes up as a grey dawn begins to form.  He yawns and stretches, shuffling around camp a bit.

Yazeth:  A few minutes later Jozra awakens as well. She lays back for a bit feeling the soreness in her muscles before standing and stretching them out.

Arrin Woodgreen: He looks up from toasting some fish. “Morning sleepyhead.”

Yazeth: Jozra grins. “Sleepyhead yourself. That fish smells delicious!”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “I aim to please.”

Yazeth: She chuckles and takes her place by the fire, pulling a few of Arrin’s ‘Wandering Cakes’ from her pack.

Arrin Woodgreen: He pulls the fish from the fire and gives her her share. “Here, eat up.”

Yazeth: Jozra takes her share and hands a cake to Soquan.

Arrin Woodgreen: He takes the cake and wraps it in the fish, eating it happily.

Yazeth: The ferret finishes eating her breakfast quickly.

Arrin Woodgreen: He finishes and begins to pack his things. “Ready to head out?”

Yazeth: Jozra nods as she finishes tying the laces on her pack. “Yep. Let’s go.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He hefts his pack. “It shouldn’t be much longer ’till we get there.”

Yazeth: The ferret clambers out of the hollow and back onto the trail. “Okay.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He follows, falling in step beside her.

Yazeth: Soon the pair is well on their way, making good time despite the bad trail and the sparring match the night before.

Arrin Woodgreen: He flexes his shoulder slightly. “Does your back hurt like hell’s gates too?”

Yazeth: The ferret laughs and stretches a little. “That it does.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins at her. “Once we get to the town we can both have a soak and a rest.”

Yazeth: Jozra grins back. “That sound just like what we need.”

Arrin Woodgreen: The two continue along the path and soon the tops of the taller buildings in the town can be seen.

Yazeth: After describing it to Soquan, the two quicken their pace, hoping to get there in time for lunch.

Arrin Woodgreen: He speeds up with her. “If we find an inn, they’ll probably include meals in the bill.”

Yazeth: The ferret nods. “And it’s not like we have to worry about cash.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He laughs. “Yeah.”

Yazeth: Soon the small trail feeds into a much larger one that quickly becomes a full blown city street.

Arrin Woodgreen: Soquan stays close to the ferret as the street grows increasingly busy.  He places a paw on her forearm, not wanting to get separated from his friend.

Yazeth: Jozra guides her companion around knots of beasts talking or going about their business. As they enter the marketplace, she gets the attention of a friendly pine marten selling cloth. “Could you perhaps direct us to an inn?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Of course matey, keep going down this street and turn right the first time you can, then the second left. It’s called ‘Traveler’s Waypoint.’ It’s not a very popular inn, but has wonderful service and lodging.”

Yazeth:  Jozra thanks the marten and leads Soquan down the street, taking the first possible right.

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins at Jozra. “Well that was a nice fellow.”

Yazeth: The ferret nods. “Friendly for such a large city.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Aye.” He continues to stay close. “So did he say the second left?”

Yazeth: Jozra nods again. “Yep. We’ve passed one already.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Wonderful.”

Yazeth:  “Ah, here it is.” The two round the corner onto a smaller side street. It is narrow, but neat. A couple of small shops line the alley and in the middle a three storied building bears the sign ‘The Traveler’s Waypoint.’

Arrin Woodgreen: He follows silently, not having much to say at the moment. He scratches absently behind his ear as they walk.

Yazeth: Presently the two are climbing the short flight of steps leading up to the wide doorway. “I hope we’re in time for lunch.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Same here.” He opens the door and steps through the doorway.

Feb 17

Chapter 29: Sparring

Chapter 29: Sparring

In Which A Little Practice Is Good For You.

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Arrin Woodgreen: A week and a half later, the pair are trudging along a little used side path. Soquan turns to the ferret, yawning slightly as exhaustion kicks in. “See anywhere to stop for the night?”

Yazeth: The ferret peers ahead in the dimming light. “Looks like there’s a nice little hollow near those pines a little ways ahead. Maybe not the best campsite, but it’ll do.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Good, I’m about to fall asleep on my paws any second.”

Yazeth: Jozra grins. “Don’t fall asleep on me just yet, it’d be a ways to carry you.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He chuckles. “I’ll try.” He trudges onward.

Yazeth: The ferret grins again then frowns briefly. “I hope we reach that town of yours soon. Arrin might have packed us a lot but we’re starting to get rather low. Plenty for another day or so, but after that…”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “We should be there tomorrow.”

Yazeth: Jozra breaths an overly large sigh of relief and chuckles. “And here we are at our campsite. It looked better from a distance, but it’ll do.” The ferret guides the blind otter into the hollow, mindful of protruding roots, before dumping her pack. “Plenty of firewood about though.” She begins to gather branches together.

Arrin Woodgreen: He puts down his pack and basically collapses. “Never mind that. Unless you need it of course.”

Yazeth: The ferret chuckles. “At the moment, I’m more hungry than exhausted. Thought some warm food would be good.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods, rapidly dropping off to sleep.

Yazeth: Jozra soon has a cheery little fire blazing. She toasts some of the smoked salmon and warms up the last of the rolls. The ferret decides to let the otter sleep. If he gets hungry during the night, he knows where the food is.

Arrin Woodgreen: He does indeed wake up in the muddle of the night with his stomach grumbling.  He checks if his companion’s still up. “Joz?”

Yazeth: The ferret wakes, and blinks in the light of the dying embers of the campfire. “Yeah?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He rubs sleep from his eyes. “How long have I been out for?”

Yazeth: Jozra gazes as the stars for a bit, marking their positions. “About four or five hours, I would guess.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods. “Okay.” He pauses. “Did I wake you up?”

Yazeth: The ferret smiles in the darkness. “Yeah, but that’s alright. You hungry now?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods, rummaging through his pack. “Yeah, very much so.”

Yazeth: Jozra chuckles. “You want the last roll? I can heat it up pretty quick.” She sits up and stirs the fire with a stick.

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Tha’d be wonderful.” He unpacks a bit of fish and his last roll.

Yazeth: She tosses a few twigs onto the fire, rekindling it enough to put another log on. She takes the roll and spears it on the same stick she used to heat her own roll.

Arrin Woodgreen: He spears the fish with a stick and puts it over the fire also.

Yazeth: After a moment, the roll is warm and she hands it over to the otter. “Gives it an interesting smoky flavor, heating it this way.” She pulls the severely depleted bag of nuts out of her pack and places it between them. “Nuts if you like.” She takes a small paw-full for herself.

Arrin Woodgreen: He takes the bun and breaks it into two pieces. He puts the fish in between both of them and takes a bite. “Mmm… So good.”

Yazeth:  Jozra grins. “That’s what I thought to myself, oh, about five hours ago.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He chuckles softly. “Well I was sleeping, so there!” He sticks his tongue out at her.

Yazeth: Jozra grins again and selects another nut, popping it into her mouth.

Arrin Woodgreen: He finishes the bread and fish and begins to eat some nuts as well.

Yazeth: The ferret stretches and leans back, resuming her star gazing.

Arrin Woodgreen: He leans back as well. “Well, I’m wide awake.”

Yazeth: Jozra nods and then gazes at Soquan appraisingly. “Something I’ve wondered for a while but never got a chance to ask… How well can you defend yourself with that staff?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “Pretty well, I woulda been able to kick that rat’s tail end if his goons didn’t step in.”

Yazeth: Jozra laughs. “Well, I’m afraid I can’t simulate a pair of goons but if you’re game we can spar a little. I need more practice fighting in the dark anyway.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He grins. “You’re on.” He rises, picking up his staff.

Yazeth: Jozra takes a discarded linen and wraps it about her long knife, blunting the edge.  She stands and does a quick couple of stretches. “Ready?”

Arrin Woodgreen: He nods his consent. “Ready.”

Yazeth: The ferret pauses for a second and then quickly assumes a fighting stance, looking for an opportunity to dart in and rap the otter’s knuckles with the flat of her blade.

Arrin Woodgreen: He stands ready, waiting for the ferret’s attack, his ears swivel this way and that, listening for any sounds.

Yazeth:  Jozra feints to the left and spins around to the right, still looking for her window.  She jabs towards Soquan’s left arm.

Arrin Woodgreen: He hears the feint then whirls around to face her, his staff going to knock at the paw coming for his arm.

Yazeth:  The ferret ducks and dodges away. Taking a slice at Soquan’s back as she moves out of range.

Arrin Woodgreen: He grunts as the blunt blade hits and swings his staff around at Jozra’s back as she moves.

Yazeth: Jozra, being rather out of practice, is grazed by the staff. She spins and darts back in, ducking the staff again.

Arrin Woodgreen: He uses a foot paw to lash out at her as he brings the staff in close again.

Yazeth: She sees the foot but not the staff. Jozra leaps to avoid being tripped but the staff catches her good on the left shoulder. She drops and promptly rolls back to her feet, bringing up the blade to block the staff.

Arrin Woodgreen: He lashes out again, this time with his heavy tail.

Yazeth: Jozra grins. Ooh, a challange. She leaps backwards, out of range again, and performs a backwards somersault before charging back into the fray.

Arrin Woodgreen: He hears her charge and sidesteps, bring his staff around in a maneuver that should land hard across her back and shoulders.

Yazeth: The ferret is caught by surprise but is able to dodge enough to soften the blow. This doesn’t stop her, though, and she lands the butt of her blade on the otter’s chest.

Arrin Woodgreen: He grunts and instinctively strikes out at her hard with his free paw, the other paw bring his staff around again.

Yazeth: Jozra is shoved hard but she manages to avoid the staff. She hits the ground and rolls to the side, springing up and seeking to land another blow across the otter’s back.

Arrin Woodgreen: He rolls to avoid the blow mostly and swings the staff around at her back again as he rolls.

Yazeth: This time the staff catches her good just below the shoulder blades. She ‘oofs’ slightly but doesn’t let the blow stop her. She leaps and rolls in the air, bringing her hilt down on Soquan’s shoulder as he gets back on his feet.

Arrin Woodgreen: He ‘ows’ and aims an elbow to her midriff.

Yazeth: Jozra weaves around the elbow and aims another blow at Soquan’s arm.

Arrin Woodgreen: The otter has kept moving, avoiding the blow. He once again lashes out at her.

Yazeth: Soquan catches a glancing blow on Jozra’s side but she kicks out with a foot at his chest.

Arrin Woodgreen: He grunts as the foot makes contact and swings at her again.

Yazeth: Jozra ducks into a forward roll and aims a slice at the otter’s leg.

Arrin Woodgreen: He gives a low growl and lashes out with a wild, whirling attack.

Yazeth: The ferret rolls away, avoiding all but a few of the blows, one of which catches her in the ribs. She leaps and flips backwards over the brunt of the otter’s attack and lands a foot in the small of Soquan’s back.

Arrin Woodgreen: The otter grunts and brings his staff around again towards her exposed side.

Yazeth:  The ferret skips backwards and catches her foot-paw on an exposed root. She rolls into the fall but is still rather battered by it. Jozra leaps back to her feet and slices towards Soquan, hoping to land a hit on his side. At the last second, a flash of reflection hits her eye and she diverts her blow away from the otter, landing in a heap. “Hold!

Arrin Woodgreen:  He does his best to stop his staff mid-swing, but the staff still grazes across the ferret’s ribs. “Sorry, is everything alright?”

Yazeth: Jozra chuckles. “Yeah, but I nearly got you too good. Seems the wrapping on my blade came undone. Didn’t even notice till I saw the reflection from the fire.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He chuckles, rubbing his bruising shoulder. “Shall we call it a night then?”

Yazeth: The ferret nods as she removes the wrapping completely and sheathes the knife. “Suppose so. We’ll never cover any ground tomorrow if we keep at it anyway.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He chuckles. “You’re right. Do you want me to dig out a place for us to bed down?”

Yazeth: Jozra shrugs. “Where we were sleeping before was fine.”

Arrin Woodgreen: He shrugs and stretches. “Suit yourself.” He returns to his previous place, laying down in the slight groove he found.

Yazeth: The ferret grins and stokes the fire before returning to her own sleeping place.

Arrin Woodgreen: It takes mere moments for soft snores to come from the sleeping otter. He smiles slightly in his sleep, soaking in the warmth of the fire.

Yazeth: Jozra chuckles quietly to herself as she stargazes for while yet. Eventually, she too drifts off to sleep.

Feb 14

Chapter 28: Heading South

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?”

Feb 12

Chapter 27: Spring Fest

Chapter 27: Spring Fest

In Which Donfin Celebrates The New Year.

———————————————————————————————

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.

Feb 10

Chapter 26: The Clearing

Chapter 26: The Clearing

In Which Arrin Has Further Suspicions.

———————————————————————————————

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.

Feb 07

Chapter 25: Arrin’s Suspicions

Chapter 25: Arrin’s Suspicions

In Which A Ferret’s Disguise is Slipping.

———————————————————————————————

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.

Feb 05

Chapter 24: Comforting After The Nightmare

Chapter 24: Comforting After The Nightmare

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

———————————————————————————————

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.

Feb 03

Chapter 23: Warm Welcome

Chapter 23: Warm Welcome

In Which Tickles Are Unfair.

———————————————————————————————

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.