Haven in the Woods

Azer · Post by **Azer** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 8:14 am

Great, hallucinations with attitude Azer thought to himself. The big one on the counter was ranting about him being there, and even threw a wad of cloth at him. The drug was starting to wear off, apparently it had very short lived effects, and Azer was starting to get a bad headache. Wait a minute, the stuff was starting to wear off, and he was still in an underground bar in the woods, with a lizard lady, a teenage boy, and a giant fucking bat. Oh shit he muttered this can't be good. He then spoke up, raising his voice so they could hear, Listen my uh sincerest fucking apologies for walking in on your... party or whatever the hell it is your doing in an underground bar in the woods, so I'm just gonna go find somewhere else to do what I need to do. With that Azer started to back his way out of the cave slowly, not being stupid enough to turn his back on them. As he walked he marveled inwardly at his response, the whole thing just seemed so surreal, he didn't really no how to deal with magic folk. Azer stopped in dead in his tracks, magic folk? he thought. He needed a crew... and this place would be a great hideout to run his goods... there wasn't much chance of him being ratted out if he was the only one who could go into town to sell the stuff... (assuming the boy had a special reason for being out here) He raised his voice once more, this time taking the time to think about what he would say. So how would you folks like to earn some bishani?

Post by **Illilli** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 11:47 am

Illilli narrowed her eyes at his apology. She didn't much believe the sincerity of someone who walks in, attempts to slice a good friend into pieces and then tries to pick them up for a job. He didn't look particularly respectable. In fact he looked like he was drugged.

Granted, she thought to herself that both she and Geldenwing had been pilfering from stores to try and get the cavern tavern to feel more like home, but this guy looked like he'd try to smoke, snort or chew the glowvines off the wall if he thought it would have any effect.

Illilli's grandma may have dabbled in healing herbs as a hobby and shared some little experience with her, but she had always warned against the so called recreational stuff. You'd rot your brain with that stuff and eventually you'd end up dead, or wish you were... was a warning often uttered if the subject came up.

Illilli gently leaped down from the table she had been on and walked carefully over to Ander and Geldenwing, her toenails clicking on the stone floor. She kept an eye on the intruder as carefully as she could.

"I don't trust this guy at all." she whispered to Geldenwing and Ander.

Ander Valman · Post by **Ander Valman** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 7:05 am

Ander listened, still keeping a distrustful eye on both Illilli and the man. He nodded absently to Gelden while he watched them.

He was slow in realizing that the man was offering to pay them for ... something. He wasn't really old enough or experienced enough to see the glazed look in the man's eyes for what it was.

Ander looked briefly at Illilli as she made her way to he and Gelden, then took a small step back and sideways, placing the bar between himself and her. Gelden, unless she flew off his hand, would have went with him, so he placed that hand on the top of the bar in order for her to see better.

He was a little wary of the suddenly ferocious dragon-lady who had only moments before been teaching him how to sew. If she could go from docile to raging anger in that short of a time, he wondered what she might do if he himself angered her. He shook his head, trying not to think about it as she spoke.

Illilli wrote:"I don't trust this guy at all."

Ander nodded his agreement as his eyes darted first to Geldenwing for her reaction, then to the man standing at the entrance to the cavern.

Geldenwing · Post by **Geldenwing** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:20 pm

Gelden remained perched on Ander's hand as he moved, perfectly comfortable where she stood. Illilli's outburst hadn't frightened her in the same way it had Ander; now she worried that Illilli would say she was going away, and never come back. The resemblance really was striking between this woman and...and...

Gelden kept her eyes glued on the stranger with a knife, certain that he was more of a threat now that he seemed to be offering them money. Why would they need money? The faerie had a vague understanding of the way the human world worked, with its money and trade and bartering, but she was used to simply trading work for work or another kind. She'd never had someone actually give her money for a service they were providing.

She would be a terrible manager.

"Illilli, I don't understand. What's he mean, earn some bishey? What's a bishey?"

She looked to Ander at this last part.

"It's rainy outside, can't you smell it? We can't just turn him away..."

Now the little faerie began pacing on Ander's hand, considering. She was starting to get excited.

"Why, he's our first guest! Shouldn't we be hospi...hos...nice? Shouldn't we like, cook and stuff? Make up a room? This is a tavern, ain't it?"

She looked up at both of her friends, wide-eyed questioning on her little face.

Azer · Post by **Azer** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 4:23 am

Azer waited for an answer, standing in the doorway so he could bolt if it came to that. The big one with the wings hopped off the bar to converse with the others. All though Azer was rather good at listening on private conversations, he hadn't had time to position himself and consequently couldn't make out what she was saying. The boy seemed to agree with her, and although he looked confused he gave her a small nod. A few seconds later the talking bat (or had the big one called it a faerie?) piped up, pacing the boy's hand and being seemingly cheerful. From his present vantage Azer only caught snippets of what she said. " earn some bishey?... rainy outside... smell it... away... cook and stuff... room... tavern..." Was she offering him hospitality?

Post by **Illilli** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 4:03 am

Illilli grumpily muttered, "Hun, bishani are those little clear pieces of magic something that they use as coin in town." She pouted mightily before continuing, "I guess he could stay... We don't really have anything worth killing us over except that we marginally own this place. I still don't trust him though."

"I am going to keep a close eye on him..." She walked behind the bar and took up her backpack.

Illilli eyed the walls of the cavern looking for something specific. Soon her eyes spied out a tiny little ledge that was near the top of Cavern. It would hold her backpack, but only just. She packed her personal things, her book, her bobbin lace loom and some other bits and bobs into the bag.

Illilli raised a bit of dust as she lurched into the air and made a not so gracefull ascent to the little ledge. Hanging by her finger tips and flapping madly, she had to pull free some glowvines and stuff the backpack into the ledge a couple times before was satisfied it was going to stay safely. She'd be damned if he would get ahold of her grandma's book or any of the other momentos she had from her family.

Illilli had the damned-est urge to lay on top of her backpack in her smallest form and just stare at Azer for his invasion of the tavern, perhaps hiss a little for good measure. Instead, she quickly returned to the floor as she was getting tired. She walked behind the bar and focussed on adding to the stew on the fire and returning to her more normal form.

Her markings shimmered the now familiar red-purple-blue and her body wrenched back into her normal human form. She reached to tighten the drawstring on her pants and adjust the slack in her halter top before leaning over to add dried meat to the stew.

"Don't have to like it..." she muttered. Illilli planned on sleeping in dragonform on top of her personal belongings that night.

Ander Valman · Post by **Ander Valman** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 4:40 am

Ander watched Illilli fly up to the ledge and place her stuff where no one else but Gelden could get to it. It was plainly obvious that she distrusted this new addition to their cave, and he was a little surprised that Illilli had so easily agreed to have him stay here.

Ander had begun to understand that this was an inn of a sort, and he was also beginning to think that they would be running it. He knew little of running a business, only what he had seen his father do while watching him in the bakery.

He looked down at Gelden, still on his hand, nodding slightly and giving her a wan smile saying that he agreed with her, then waited for her to flit off. Once she had done that, he planned on going back to work on the shirt that Illilli and he had started working on.

As he walked by Illilli, he almost unconsciously put a hand out to touch her shoulder, almost in reassurance, and would let it run across her back to her other shoulder as he continued walking. He smiled, what he hoped was a reassuring smile, but he didn't quite know what one of those looked like. He hoped it would make her feel better.

He continued walking , straight towards the newcomer.

"Uh, I don't think you need the knife, mister," Ander said, trying to keep his smile on his face. "My name is Ander. I guess we'll be stayin' here together for a bit. There's a room in the back that you can stay in, I just cleaned it out, and you'll have to sleep on a pile of pine branches, but it will be pretty comfortable. That's what we've been sleepin' on, and we'll probably just sleep out here again too, since this is where we've been sleepin' anyways..."

Ander trailed off, realizing he had been babbling. A slow blush crept up his face. He smiled a small smile, the embarrassment seeming to settle something that had been hard and knotted in his stomach.

Ander took a small step back and to the side, to allow the stranger farther into the cavern. "What's your name, mister?"

Geldenwing · Post by **Geldenwing** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:36 pm

Gelden flittered off of Ander's hand and settled herself on the bartop instead. She watched Illilli struggle to put her belongings up higher than their guest could reach. The dragon lady clearly didn't like their first guest, and considering he'd been waving a knife around earlier, the small fae could understand why. But she still firmly believed that anyone could be won over with enough effort.

See: obnoxiousness.

As Ander went to explain the ways of the tavern to the man, Gelden sat on the very edge of the countertop to watch the exchange. Ander's boldness to walk straight up to the knife-wielding stranger made her stomach tighten in fear, but hopefully the man would just leave her friend alone.

She looked between Illilli and Ander and was at a loss for what to do. Illilli was upset about something, and Ander was putting himself in potential harm's way. What could the little faerie do? Oh, that's right. She could flutter.

She closed her eyes and thought big, trying to shift herself back to her more people-sized shape. In a wink, she was the size of a small child again, and opened her eyes to grin at their guest. Now he could hear her question if she yelled loud enough.

"What's your name, Mister?"

Azer · Post by **Azer** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:22 pm

Azer could only guess at the rest of the conversation from their body language until the one with the wings made a rather loud remark. (she seemed irritated) "I still don't trust him though. I am going to keep a close eye on him..." she then grabbed her bag and flew it up to a ledge where none but her, and maybe the bat, could reach it. Azer watched her, expecting her to chase him out of the cave, or at least respond, but all she did was land, and in one fluid motion, rid herself of wings. After she finished her transformation into a human, albeit one with some pretty odd fucking markings, she turned her back on him and started adding something to the stew. Azer had experienced every reaction he thought possible, especially to offers he made, but this was a new one. How stupid did she think he was? Did she think he couldn't toss a knife? I mean true there's an unwritten law that says you can't make an attack during a business deal, but when you acted that fucking arrogant as to turn your back on an asshole with a weapon... One who wants something you have... He began to raise the knife so as to teach her a lesson, when the boy spoke. He had been so focused on the woman's reaction that he hadn't even noticed the boy walk across the room. "Uh, I don't think you need the knife, mister." he said with a big grin. Azer waved the knife, which he had been about to toss into the woman's back at the kid. "Woah, hold on their kiddo, rule number one never separate a man from his weapon, rule number two never get this close." He brandished his knife as he spoke making it clear he meant business, but it seemed to have no effect. The kid just babbled on about staying together and pine branches, until Azer was just about ready to brandish his knife into the kid's flesh. Then he backed up, seeming to gesture into the cavern. As soon as he moved out of Azer's way the giant bat on the counter, which looked much bigger than it had before, hollered a question at him. "What's your name, Mister?" Azer sighed, these people obviously new nothing about the more... lucrative side of "business", and were certainly not anyone he wanted as a crew. (Although he could use the cave... he might have to come back.) "Rule number three sweetheart", he said in a loud voice, "No names. " He looked around at the three of them and gave his goodbye, "On second thought I don't really need any... assistance so I'll just be going back to my room in the city." which I haven't got yet, he thought silently. With that he started yet again to back out of the cave. He wasn't really worried about being attacked by this crew with his back turned, but he had been conned before.

Post by **Illilli** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:14 am

Illilli really did not like the attitude of the intruder, a guest would. They would all be in for one sour meal if her feelings worked their way into the food. She mechanically seasoned and worked on turning some of their dried meat into a more palatable meal.

Illilli didn't really mind having guests if they reopened this place as a tavern... but, she would feel better if that man would leave and never come back. There was a look about his eyes that just screamed trouble to her senses. She was learning to trust some of her first impressions now.

She turned to watch him backing toward the door.

She could not help but sit there and wish... Go, go on... leave... go away!

She started thinking she needed to start working on making a new bow and arrows. Maybe tomorrow she would go out and cut some wood to season.

Ander Valman · Post by **Ander Valman** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 12:21 am

Ander stepped back again. He hadn't noticed the man waving the knife, and in his excitement had actually talked right over him. He held up his hands, about to tell the stranger that he had not meant that he should get rid of the knife, but only that he could put it away.

Unless, he thought to himself, he just carries it all the time...

Instead of Ander speaking, Gelden perked up in repeat of his own question, asking for the stranger's name. The man again waved the knife around, of which he seemed exceedingly fond of doing, and added rule number three.

Ander frowned in confusion, wondering what all the talk of rules was. Perhaps it was grown up talk, but his mother had always told him that Rule Number One was to always listen respectfully to your elders. Even though this man was an 'elder', Ander already knew at this age that the stranger was not a person who got much respect unless he constantly waved his weapon around.

It was at this time that the man started making his excuses to leave, and Ander was none too upset to see him going. Even as the stranger backed towards the exit, Ander unintentionally mimicked Illilli's thoughts.

Please just leave. We don't need any more trouble around here...

The anger stirred in his gut, no longer calmed, but sitting, waiting for something. Ander still only noticed it as a mild stomach ache, if he even noticed it at all.

Geldenwing · Post by **Geldenwing** » Sun May 06, 2007 3:33 pm

Gelden watched the man slowly retreat, still waving his knife about like it was his new favorite toy. She did consider going after him and trying to convince him to stay, but the blatant tension in both of her house-mates convinced her to remain where she was and just produce a wave and a beaming smile.

"Be safe outside! Watch out for badgers!"

She looked around, trying to think of something else to do. The signals were glaringly obvious that this man was a threat, and so even she would err on the side of caution, but she felt so...wrong...just letting him leave.

She plucked a blossom from a nearby glowvine, with a gentle humming apology to the vine, and then approached the stranger cautiously and held out the blossom. She stayed just out a knife-swipe reach, and for all the world looked like a little girl offering her father a flower.

"Remember us well?"

Azer · Post by **Azer** » Sun May 06, 2007 11:33 pm

"Why not?" Azer shrugged and accepted the flower, throwing it his bag with his other... ingredients. "I'll remember you just fine." With that he backed the rest of the way out of the tavern. By the time he got back into the woods it was night out and since he didn't favor the walk back to the city in the dark, he'd have to sleep in a tree.

(OOC: If you want some comic relief watch for Azer in the historic ruins, he might just get desperate and end up smoking your flower. quote: but this guy looked like he'd try to smoke, snort or chew the glowvines off the wall if he thought it would have any effect. by Illi, )I laughed out loud when you wrote that, and it gave me an idea.)

Continued in http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?p=8136#8136

Ander Valman · Post by **Ander Valman** » Mon May 21, 2007 10:40 pm

Ander kept a careful watch on the stranger as he backed out of the cavern. He had found it a little odd that after the man had tried to slice up Gelden, the little fairy had offered him a flower to remember them by. He didn't dwell on it long, allowing a low sigh of relief to escape once the man was out in the wilderness again.

Ander turned to Gelden then, offering a hesitant smile. "I didn't really like him. He was trying to hurt you... but I couldn't do anything about it." The smile slipped momentarily into a frown of disappointment.

His stomach ache had settled some; he no longer felt the tight knot there. Preoccupied as he had been, he had barely registered it except perhaps on a subconscious level. Perhaps. The young man was still upset that he hadn't been able to help his friend, but was still putting on a brave face for the two women.

He turned back towards the food being prepared, inhaling deeply to enjoy the scent. He was ravenous, since he had been working all day, and was looking forward to sitting down with the other two to eat. Ander smiled again at Gelden and made his way over to the nook where Illilli had previously put dishes. He grabbed three well-made clay bowls and some utensils, bringing them to a table and laying them out to wait for the food. A thought occurred to him.

"Gelden? Is there anywhere we can get fresh water around here? I only have a little left in my skin..."

Post by **Illilli** » Tue May 22, 2007 1:10 am

Illilli cackled and pointed towards the kitchen sink when she overheard Ander's query.

"That water is plenty good... I think its spelled to be clean... I've been drinking it and cooking with it and I seem to be doing ok, and I'll be feeling even better now that that horrid man is gone."

She shivered slightly.

"Maybe we should see about making a good heavy door soon, eh? I also want to go out tomorrow and maybe cut some staves and such for some bows and arrows. They won't be the best quality but they should be serviceable.." she finished stirring the cauldron and pronounced the stew done.

A thick clean rag was used to carefully unhook the cauldron and move it over to where Ander had set the table.