Sunny happily looks to her friends to see who's got some rope. So that Chauncy can be hauling the big critter's husk out of the ruins.
(^_^)
"Who be gotten' some ropes, then? Chauncy be all gooder at tuggin' along." (^_^)
Zelda lends her rope to the cause, and Sookie lends a hand securing the rope to the gray carcass of the weaverworm. The other companions gather around to watch as the great snake pulls with all its might...
...slowly, but surely, the dead carcass is inched out of its hole in the ground. As it pulls, the companions are amazed as foot, after foot, after foot, of the long, wormy body is dragged out of the hole until, at last, the tail end of the eighteen-foot-long body comes out. Sunny manages to get Chauncy to drag the body out of the ruined keep before the snake earns a good rest for the strenuous pull of what must be about a ton of dead weight.
With the gray creature removed, the five-foot wide hole in the ground is fully exposed. The magical light of Sookie's and Istivan's weapons reveals a natural tunnel stretching down several feet, where it curves out of sight. It will be pitch black deeper down without a light source.
"Whover wants to take the lead, I can imbue an item of yours with light to help in the darkness." Rhia offers as they prepare to explore.
*Gently strokes Chauncy and settles them after such an heroic-ing effort*
"Whoever wants to take the lead, I can imbue an item of yours with light to help in the darkness." Rhia offers as they prepare to explore.
Sunny skips over to her new friends.
"I dun't mind goin' firstest." She volunteers brightly. "I ken real gooder in'a dark," She assures Rhia "On account of havin' rilly big eyes." (^_^) Sunny happily points to her tanned self though she does pause for a moment obviously in thought.
"Uhm... I got's a couple a long, pointy poles? Maybe puttin' tha' glowy on'a end a one of 'em?" Sunny indicates either her lance or 'Long' spear as options for being lit up. Skipping over to whichever one her friends suggest and taking them off her saddle setting.
Being quite seeming impressed with Rhia's next showing of magic.
With her current ensemble made of bone, wood, leather, lace, and string there's an air of the 'primitive' about the tanned Elf lass. Nonetheless, she seems quite keen and eager to lead her friends down into the darkness. Deftly padding onwards and downwards, her large blue eyes taking in the vista of the tunnel searching for anything untoward...
The light at the tip of her long spear illuminating the way.
The tip of Sunny's spear begins to radiate an ethereal white glow as Rhia speaks a gentle mantra. With the rope secured, she takes the lead in exploring beneath the ruined tower.
Sunny carefully climbs a deeply sloped tunnel down about ten feet, where it gives way to a fifteen foot drop to a cavern below. Rope still secured, she climbs down to the ground below.
Sunny has a look around. Soft webbing wreathes the walls, ceiling, and floor of this subterranean chamber. Several lumps bulge outward along the floor, unidentifiable under layers of sticky webs.
Sunny peers into the darkness.
"Hmm.. is kind'a close an'snuggy." She muses to herself.
She slowly and with deft, gentle steps creeps closer to the nearest bulge.
"Ooooo. Hope is not more poor passed peoples..."
Spotting no apparent signs of traps, Sunny steps several feet up to the nearest webbed bulge on the floor. The bulge is certainly too small to be a body... or, at least, a complete body. Whatever it is, it's something that's perhaps hand-sized.
The other several lumps seem to be even smaller.
• A small glass vial, stoppered, containing an amber-hued translucent liquid inside.
• A small silver ring, finely crafted with a feather pattern.
• A worn leather pouch containing 7 gold crowns, 16 silver coins, and 11 copper coins.
• A fur-lined pouch containing 21 platinum coins and 145 gold crowns.
• A few lumps of loose coin piles, in total adding up to 29 platinum, 65 gold, 21 silver, and 19 copper.[/list]
In total, the coins amount to 50 platinum, 217 gold, 47 silver, and 30 copper.
Sunny pauses, bending over and peering at the tiny (Hand sized?) lump.
Initially checking that they're at least lot some sort of fluid-filled space.
She proceeds to gingerly open them up and see what's inside.
*Reads spoiler*
"Oooo. Shiny stuffs." She whispers quietly.
Then, if everything's been looked through she works at climbing back out of the place.
Deftly tucking her polearm to one side, which still throws light upon her tanned and shell-draped self plus her discoveries, she happily shows all the things she's found to her new friends.
"Looky. Is was jus' lyin' about tha' place. Shiny."
(^_^)
With newly discovered shiny stuff in tow, Sunny climbs back up the rope. She shows her find to the others:
A small glass vial, stoppered, containing an amber-hued translucent liquid inside.
A small silver ring, finely crafted with a feather pattern.
A pair of pouches, one of worn leather the other fur-lined, containing a combined total of 50 platinum coins, 217 gold crowns, 47 silver coins, and 30 copper pennies.
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The companions agree to let Sunny hold onto her newfound treasures for the time being, if she wishes. In case the deceased's surviving friends or family might be in need, Sookie advises her to keep the new stash separate from her own valuables.
"Mind you, I couldn't care less about the margrave's dead friend," she adds. "The old bird's brother might be in need, however."
Leaving the weaverworm's ruined tower with bodies in tow, the several companions head eastward, the direction the old woman's brother might still be. If he's still alive, that is...
The open clearing soon gives way to the dense and dark nighttime woodlands once more. Every so often, you catch a glimpse of the night sky, visible through the tall trees above. You see the sky is lit now only by the stars and moon.
About a mile later, the companions spot the dark silhouette of a small cottage up ahead. Its front window emits the soft glow of light from within, though opaque curtains obscure what's inside.
Sunny guides Chauncy, so the large reptile slides easily through and amongst the trees. The serpent's size and reach allow the snake to easily 'climb' from branch to branch and leave space for the others to ride their mounts along that game trails.
Coming to the clearing with the cottage Sunny quietly halts Chauncy just within the edge of the trees and dismounts. Silently awaiting the decisions of her new friends.
"I can barely make out much. I can call up light, but out here in the darkness, it would very much draw all eyes on us." Rhia points out.
Putting her things in order, and straightening her clothing of shells and leather after the ride, Sunny looks to Rhia.
"But... We's here ta' meet tha' peoples in'a hut, right?" She frowns slightly. "Why wouldn't we be wantin' people's ta see us?" Even as she begins to gently remove the passed person from their perch upon Chauncy's saddle.
Zelda sneaks up so quietly, even her companions have trouble tracking where exactly she is.
She closes in on the curtained window without any apparent notice. Though the opaque curtain pretty much covers the entire span of the glass, it has enough translucence for her to peer through it enough to make out the general scene. She sees the fuzzy silhouette of a rather cozy yet ordinary living and dining space, with what might be a small kitchen off to the side. There appears to be a humanoid figure, seated at a small table. Though it's hard to make out, she hears the distinct sounds of a utensil, clicking here and there on what sounds like a plate... the figure is, apparently, eating dinner.
Sunny is busy with her passed person so much that she blinks and completely misses Zelda disappearing into the night.
She looks about but stays with the rest of her new friends since everything seems 'Normal' to them.
"I wonder if'n they'll be friendly, like?" She muses quietly.
(^_^)
Zelda quietly returns to the group. It appears one person I'd in the cabin eating. Shall we say hello?"
"Aye!" Sunny agrees brightly immedialty skiping off towards the hut.(^_^)
Chauncy remaining curled up quietly where they've been settled.
The companions approach the cottage in the moon light. An enthusiastic Sunny knocks on the front door. After a long, quiet pause, a man's voice responds from within.
"Who is it?"
The companions approach the cottage in the moonlight. An enthusiastic Sunny knocks on the front door. After a long, quiet pause, a man's voice responds from within.
"Who is it?"
Sunny opens her mouth...
And then seems to freeze in place.
She turns and looks to her new companions, "Here. I know who 'I ' is... But who is 'We ', like?" She whispers urgently. Suddenly Suny seems completely at a loss as for what to do.
"You don't know us, Sir, we're travelers, visitors to this region. But we may have a message for you. from Beyond." Rhia says quietly.
"From beyond...?" the man's voice repeats, trailing off for a moment.
You hear a deadlock on the door's interior slide open.
"Please, do come in."
The door opens. A welcoming wall of warmth begins to fend off the night air's chill as you enter. The rustic interior of the cottage is cozy. A fire burns in the fireplace, with a pair of wooden chairs and a small table before it. To your left, an older man sits at a small kitchen table beside a small iron stove and counter. On top of the stove is a tea kettle. And to your right is a door.
"I am Angelov Marduszi," he introduces himself. You see the old man is a bit grizzled and bent, and on the skinny side. He has but a gray tuft of hair left on his mostly bald head. Intelligent gray eyes look back at you as he motions for some to take a seat (there are only enough chairs for a few to sit). He himself sits in a chair with wheels on it.
He offers you tea after introductions are made.
Before the message is delivered, he accurately deduces the purpose of your visit. He makes direct eye contact with Rhia.
"It's about Angelica, isn't it."
Sunny follows her friends inside the stranger's hut.
She seems content to take up nothing more than a small space in a corner. Standing and watching, her large blue eyes taking in all there is to see within the cabin.
How might the fellow in the chair have accessed/worked the clunky-sounding door?
The 'Other' door? Would it lead into a different room? Or might it lead to the back of the house/cottage?
Wait? We don't know the deceased lass' name, do we? Maybe the fellow is giving us a test?
Sunny finds everything about her now totally new and strange.
(^_^)
"Yes it is, sadly." Rhia say's entering the room and sitting across from the man. "Though I wish it were under different circumstances, I'm please to meet you Angelov. My name is Rhia, Rhia van der Geist, and I am…an agent of Pharasma actually. I was able to…speak with Angelica. I asked if there was anyone who would like to know what happened to her, to finally have answers, and she told us where to find you.”
Sunny stands quietly, politely, in a corner. Taking in the conversation between her friends and this new person, their travels have brought them across.
Her large, blue eyes take in everything about this strange new hut she finds herself in.
Carefully noting all the myriad cultural differences between this 'Home' and that of her people back amongst the islands. Even as she does her very best to understand what it is that everyone is talking about.
The old man looks down as the words come forth.
After a long moment, he sorrowfully says, "I knew. She never left me alone for 15 minutes in life. She went hunting... weeks ago? Something had to have happened..."
Looking up, his eyes are watery and red.
"Thank you, for coming here. For telling me, and for bringing her. I..." he hesitates a moment, "would like to see the body please."
As you lead the way back out, he is capable of moving himself slowly but surely with elderly but still strong-enough arms.
The sight of a large serpent outside gives him pause. But after some persuasion, he approaches. Seeing his dead sister's face, he erupts into tears. Gently, he pats her cheek, and mumbles mostly unintelligible syllables... but the emotion is clear enough. He gently kisses her forehead before the face is covered once more.
Wiping his eyes, "The least I can do is offer you shelter for the night. And breakfast in the morning. Now, I don't have much," he gestures back to his small cottage, "But it's night, and it's especially dangerous in these woods at night. I can tell you stories..."
Before returning inside, he asks for help setting up his set of colorful flags in a tightly-spaced border around the body. "It tricks the wolves, they think it's a barrier they can't pass."
Back inside, Angelov waves a hand at the teapot. The teapot lifts from the burner and levitates over to the table. From a small cabinet, all four of his ceramic mugs levitate to the table in turn, one at a time. The teapot lifts up again, and pours tea in each mug.
"Please." he gestures for each of you to take a mug. "Angelica and I, we didn't entertain guests very often. I'll put on another pot for the rest of you."
"If anyone is hungry, I have some berries, and oatmeal?" You see a bowl with several black berries and raspberries. It would appear the oatmeal is not prepared at this time.
As Sunny wide-eyed looks all around while inside the cottage, she does not notice anything of any peculiar or particularly alarming interest. Only the (relatively exotic for her) decor of the place, which is rustic yet cozy. The fireplace is charmingly quaint and effective, giving off sufficient warmth. She takes notice of the few wooden shelves lining the walls, and the small table between two chairs. Several books and several perhaps meaningful trinkets sit upon them, one of which is a small painted image of Angelica and Angelov when they were young adults. She also notices a curious small wooden figurine, which looks like an eagle wielding a huntsman's bow.
Sunny is saddened and sad by the proceedings.
Though she doesn't also burst into tears along with Angelov it's a hard-won thing. Angelov's use of magic is one of the few things that doesn't surprise, shock or otherwise seem of note to the tanned Elf.
At the offer of a meal, she is quick to offer her own rations to help fill out the fare. Saying, 'We can always be hunting along on the morrow'.
"I'm... sooo sorry for your loss, Mr. Marduszi..."
Where Sunny succeeds, Aliseya utterly fails to hold back her own tears. She soaks the handkerchief Naught lent her, and then some, as the sadness overwhelms her highly sensitive heart.
After collecting herself with Naught's comforting embrace, "Oh! Thank you so much, but really we've all already eaten, haven't we." She then places some dried figs next to the berries, "And I have some of these too if anyone gets peckish."
She smiles as Zelda and Sunny offer their own food. When he's not looking, a chunk of cheese and a block of dark chocolate also find their way into his pantry, the latter obviously being particularly difficult for Ali to part with.
Noticing Sunny's curiosity, Ali walks over to her. "That's Blackfeather," she says of the wooden figurine. "He's a servant of Erastil, the god of hunting, farming, and family. Legend has it that Blackfeather is a shapeshifting eagle-man who watches over Erastil's servants and protects them..."
As she trails off, she wonders about the veracity of Erastil's protection when it comes to Angelica and her disabled brother.
And then her eyes narrow in thought for a moment. Considering the old man's talent, her wide-eyed gaze is drawn all around the small cottage, her pupils unfocused at times.
As Zelda is speaking with Angelov, she points at the several berries the old man offered, and whispers to nearby Sunny, "Magic berries... just one will feed someone for a day. I sense... I think he's a lot more capable on his own than we'd expect." She smiles.
Noticing Sunny's curiosity, Ali walks over to her. "That's Blackfeather," she says of the wooden figurine. "He's a servant of Erastil, the god of hunting, farming, and family. Legend has it that Blackfeather is a shapeshifting eagle-man who watches over Erastil's servants and protects them..."
To which Sunny gives a pleasantly surprised 'Ah' of understanding.
As Zelda is speaking with Angelov, she points at the several berries the old man offered and whispers to nearby Sunny, "Magic berries... just one will feed someone for a day. I sense... I think he's a lot more capable on his own than we'd expect." She smiles.
Sunny smiles brightly back at Aliseya in return. (^_^)
"Is gooder he's gon'a be okeys..." She whispers back to her new friend.
Rhia nods, noting the symbol of Blackfeather and Angelov's magical abilities, it was clear that his magical gifts had a divine source.
Accustomed as she was to helping others through the worst moments of loss as a servant of Pharasma, Rhia maintains a comforting presence, sad but controlled, acting in the capacity of one who represents the Dark Lady at times like these.
Old Angelov smiles at the kindness and generosity shown to him. Though he gently protests the food donations at first, he gratefully accepts your charity in the end.
"May Old Deadeye bless your morning hunt, dear girl," he replies to Sunny.
To Zelda, "Oh, I'll be alright, dear. Though I could use a hand with her..." he hesitates a moment here, "...burial. In the morning."
"Thank you, dear," he responds to Rhia's comforting presence, and similarly to Aliseya's sympathy and anyone else who expresses their condolences.
As tea cups are emptied and the night proceeds a little further, it becomes clear that it's past Angelov's bedtime. Indeed, a yawn or a few involuntarily escapes from more than one of the companions.
Decisions are then made about who shall sleep where. Though Angelov offers his own small bedroom to his guests, the companions insist he stay in his own bedroom tonight.
A couple of the more rugged among you opt to sleep outside for the evening, as there is simply not enough room inside without piling upon each other. Two of you can bundle up on the wooden floor with a stiff carpet and an extra blanket, while two others can sleep upright in one of the wooden chairs.
The night passes relatively quietly. The silence is occasionally broken by the howl of a wolf in the distance.
Come the crack of dawn, Angelov opens his bedroom door. He's already fully dressed and wheels himself into the kitchen to make oatmeal for the group. This time, he ignores any pleas to save his food for himself, cracking a joke about his bad cooking though the oatmeal, while a bit plain, is not bad. He serves everyone who wishes oatmeal a hearty bowl of it. He again offers berries and what were Aliseya's dried figs. Aliseya then offers some walnuts from her large satchel, improving the oatmeal's flavor.
When the companions have finished eating breakfast and returned from hunting (if desired), Angelov asks the companions if they could help him bury his beloved sister's body in the yard behind the cottage. Outside, you notice a few berry bushes along the back of the cottage, as well as the edge of a nearby plot of small land where a garden would probably grow well in warmer weather.
Providing a shovel from his small tool shack, a few of the companions dig six feet into the hard winter soil over the next hour. The deceased face of Angelica is looked upon one last time before a tearful Angelov allows her to be gently placed in the ground. He leads the group in an Erastilian prayer of gratitude for the fond memories life has given the siblings, followed by a Pharasmin prayer led by Aliseya and Rhia for a pleasant and safe journey for Angelica to the Bonesland.
As the service concludes, it is now about mid-morning. You may now speak with your host Angelov once more before carrying on in your journey through the Shudderwood to Ascanor Lodge.
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Sunny is more than happy to sleep outside. Chirpilly commenting about keeping Chauncy safe and company. (^_^)
The call of the wild brings Sunny out of her slumber. She blearily pops her head up from within Chauncy's protective embrace, blinking out into the cool, dark night.
Come the first day's early light, see Sunny up as bright as the day is shining. She quickly bounces up and gets Chauncy moving. The pair of them moving off into the forest seeking.
Any body of water, rivulet, stream, creek, billabong or river. (NOTE* As a person/human/player with no herpetologist skills in relation to GIANT sneks we'll let the dice decide things, yes?)
With Chauncy's care and feeding done for the day, Sunny also slips into the waters alongside her mount/friend and also engages in her ablutions.
With such mundane necessities out of the way, Sunny turns her attention towards seeking victuals to help round out the morning meal she intends to share with her friends.
With some of her friends quickly coming to the fore and deftly mentioning/asking about the very clever outfit they'd met her wearing the previous day. To which Sunny brightly nods and gathers said seeming tangle of threads, string, shells and jewellery from her baggage. Which she dons at her friend's request to show off how such an ensemble might be worn. (^_^)
Social crisis averted, Sunny joins everyone at breakfast. Sharing the spoils of her morning adventures. Though she seems quite taken with the incredibly exotic fare of 'Oatmeal'.
Her demeanour becomes more solemn and serious with the events of Angelica's final rest, to which she does apply herself to the utmost.
Sunny simply, silently offers Angelov a hug of condolences. She keeps back some sniffles before stepping away and awaiting to see what her new companions decide.
(^_^)
Leaving the carpet and blanket to Aliseya and Naught, Rhia opts for one of the chairs, not the most comfortable option, but safer than outdoors and far from the least accommodating of conditions she'd spent a night under.
Awakening early, she heads outside, partially to stretch her legs and work out the kinks developed from the night's rest, and partly to check on those who'd chosen to sleep outside.
Seeing Sunny and Chauncy arise, the ghost whisperer is only slightly surprised at her au naturale state, given the wild elf's natural ease in the wilderness. She couldn't help but find her easy openness and lack of concern for societal foibles, a little amusing and altogether not at all unpleasant to witness.
While definitely no huntress herself, Rhia has accompanied her brothers on a few hunts in the past, and so opts to join Sunny and her serpentine companion in their morning hunt, taking the opportunity to work any lingering aches out of her system with a bracing bath in the stream the wild elf located.
Heading back she finds a subtle way to convince her companion to don some degree of clothing to avoid giving poor Angelov a shock he didn't need given the somberness of the occasion.
Calling forth some spiritual aid in the digging of Angelica's grave, she gives a formal send off to Pharasma's realm, after Angelov's touching prayer and remembrance.
After helping with the funeral Zelda says her goodbyes.
We should be on our way. We have another family to visit before this is done. I hope your days are filled with sunshine, and your life is filled with love. Take care.
Zelda smiles gently and begins to prepare to leave.
Sunny pitches in and helps people 'Saddle up', having seen to Chauncy's needs earlier.
With Zelda's comment about 'Meeting people', Sunny politely waits until they're moving away from the enchanting hut before sidling Chuancy up beside Zelda's mount and asking,
"Here. Afore ye mentioned seein' ta' someone else?" She looks to Zelda for a moment before continuing.
"I is come lookin' fer a feller an all." She smiles,
"A feller what goes by tha' name a 'Master Lorrimor'." And her friends note the great care and precision Sunny takes at saying Professor Lorrimor's name, considering her normal patois. (^_^)
The old man looks keenly at the ring for a moment.
"I'm afraid I don't. Sorry."
Sookie looks at the ring more carefully as well, but she just scratches her head.
Sunny peers at the ring, "Is pretty..." She offers.
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"Oh..." she answers his query, "it, uh... kinda just came to me? Sometimes, when I hold an object that someone found meaningful in life, I just, kinda, like know things about them. You know?"
Christoph's stern demeanor softens for an instant, fast enough that anyone not looking for it might well miss it. "We can hope. Perhaps Pharasma hasn't taken him yet. Only She knows his true fate. This ability of yours is curious."
"Hunh...psychometry. That's a very rare talent."
His eyes flicker to Rhia as she explains, then back to Aliseya. Not for the first time, he ponders, Clearly no ordinary Varisian soothsayer... new power on new power... nothing to do but our task, I suppose.
Taking a moment once the retrieved bodies are settled, Rhia sits beside the body of the hunter woman first closing her eyes for a moment. As she opens her eyes, they glow with an ethereal white light as she rests a hand on the corpse's chest, breathing out as her exhalation flows into the woman's mount like a sudden inhalation of breath as her magic calls across the veil. "Why were you here?"
Christoph tenses, the magical nature and the possibilities of what Rhia is doing shocking him. She wouldn't... As the corpse begins to answer, he watches sternly from nearby with his arms crossed. The habits of long years as a hunter of necromancers are not so easily set aside. If he is bothered by the sights and sounds of a broken body being coerced to answer, he doesn't show it.
"I lost my way... when... diabeł w szarości... bewitched me......."]
The language, never forgotten but rarely spoken and only with trepidation, catches him off guard and he takes a moment to remember. Devil in gray?, he glances at the dead weaverworm and nods at it, "diabeł w szarości, is the devil in gray in the local tongue. Appropriate."
At the end of the interrogative, he waits for the body's final slump to go and study for a moment. "Well enough. Deftly done, Miss Van der Geist. I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with that." He glances at Sookie for a moment and arches an eyebrow with the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. "Let's see that these two laid to rest."
Christoph sighs in relief as they make it to the hut and his pessimism is proved wrong. He "I'm glad your hope was proved justified, Miss Belododia. I have the bad habit of always fearing the worst."
Trailing the others into the house, he positions himself to keep an eye on their horses -and snake- from a convenient window. Otherwise, Christoph let's those whose social grace might recommend them in good company break the bad news. He stays further back, and tries to avoid looming darkly behind the others in the man's hut.
He bows his head and murmurs, "I'm terribly sorry for your loss, master Marduszi. Both miss Van der Geist and I are Pharasmin agents if you would like us to say some words."
Despite his best efforts, he finds himself constantly following Sunny's eyes as they flit about the room from shiny to shiny like a magpie. If I don't break my habit of watching what my companions watch, I'm going to go insane. Kjell would be rolling and laughing if he could see me now - skurwielu. He smiles fondly at the thought of his mentor.
He comes to the same conclusion as Aliseya after a moment's reflect. He glances at her, "You're a font of knowledge, miss Belododia. I had to think on that for a moment before I recognized it."
Christoph, likely surprising no one, opts to 'rough' it as he has innumerable times before. He takes the time to prepare an alarm before he sleeps and keeps his weaponry close at hand.
Waking refreshed, Christoph opts to spend his time before the funeral in meditative prayer. The past weeks had been trying and the familiar routine of silent prayer and readings from his worn copy of The Bones Land in a Spiral are a balm. After one unexpected and blushing encounter with Sunny's morning routine, Christoph makes a point of facing the hut for the remainder of his meditation. Lady of Graves help me, have I met anyone sane since this quest began?
Relieved that propriety has reestablished itself for the funeral, Christoph offers his condolences a final time. At the ring, he shrugs and says, "I only know that nobles are more likely to have the time to get into trouble that requires my attention. Not much else."
As they ride, he makes a point of keeping the newcomer in his sights. She's coming with... but we never did figure out why. His natural propensity for suspicion flares at the mention of the name Lorrimor. He asks, casually as a suspicious inquisitor can, "Who is this Master Lorrimor you're looking for?"
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As they ride, he makes a point of keeping the newcomer in his sights. He asks, casually as a suspicious inquisitor can, "Who is this Master Lorrimor you're looking for?"
Sunny deftly moves Chauncy to 'Slide' along beside Christoph's mount, her mastery of the large snake evident with which the ease she directs the creature's motons simply through knee pressure and balance in the saddle.
"Oh. Tha' Elders done teach us ta' be callin' all'a people's from tha' boats 'Master'. On account of them people's ships bein' rilly come-plee-cated an' tha' needin' of all'a skills they gots ta be havin' ta' make 'em all work, like." And she nods to herself. "An' they got's tha' right of it. What wiff all'a canvas an'a ropes an'a raisn' an'a lowerin' of such things..." She muses briefly remembering, shaking her blond mop as she gathers her thoughts again.
"We got's a message arrived back at Home about Master Lorrimor." She twists in the saddle and indicates to all her baggage stored neatly behind her. "An' I is come ta' be doin' propper by me Kin about sayin' all tha' right words an' such." She finishes smiling brightly at Christoph in return. (^_^)
Patting Jitters reassuringly as the horse rolls its eyes and tosses its head as the massive snake and it's rider approach, Christoph himself eyes the serpent warily. She may ride it as easy as a horse, but that doesn't make it one.
"A complicated canvas rope, right..." He nods along with her rambling explanation with only moderate comprehension, his concentration split being making sense of her accent and avoiding Jitters bolting. He glances at the baggage she mentions and says, "I see, so you're paying your respects to this Master Lorrimor? I assume the message wasn't good news if you're paying respects to him. Lady of Graves give your friend his due rest."
He rides in silence for a moment studying this strange elf that had joined their company. If she's with the Way, she's some kind of good actor. He asks conversationally, "So who was this gentleman? Mister Lorrimor? It sounds like he was an expert of some sort or another. He helped your people somehow? And come to think of it, I'm not even sure I heard who they -your people- are..." He trails off and waits.
Sunny absently adjusts Chauncy's motion of travel to give Christoph's mount a tad more breathing room.
She nods to his initial comment. "Oh aye. When we got's tha' message all'a Kin come t'gether ta' be sortin' out whut t'was we was t'be doin' about it." She smiles at the memory, then blinks.
"Huh? T'was a message? What it be sayin' were...", And her voice trails off as her face scrunches in thought. "I mean... yes? Kind'a, sort'a, maybe?" She shakes her blond mop.
"Sorry, I dun't rightly understand. Is tha' right thing ta' be doin' when news of someone ye like bin faded. When rilly liked or important Kin fade they's folks commin' by fer ages. Is same fer peoples, aye?" Sunny really does seem to be trying to work past her lack of understanding of Christoph's words, before changing tack and brightening instantly as she recounts her tales and knowledge of Master Lorrimor.
"Oh! Master Lorrimor were amazin'!" She exclaims happily.
"Like, most peoples? When they come ashore, they's more talkin' ta' Kin an' lookin' fer vittles an' rest an' trade an' stuffs..." She grins.
"But Master Lorrimor? He were all'a ways askin' questions. An' then more questions about tha' questions an' then askin' even more questions about the question's questions!" She giggles.
"Why, within but a day he'd knew that Home were made different ta' some of tha' other islands around. Sayin' things all come-ply-kated about rocks an' shapes an' stuffs." She shakes her head.
"I were barely learnin' people's speak at tha' time. I'd bin tradin' oyster cankers fer lessons." She looks seriously at Christoph.
"We Kin is fair. A trade fer a trade. Stuff fer stuff." And her tone and demeanour are the most serious he's ever seen the Elf before flipping again back to brightness.
"Most a whut I were knowin' about whut Master Lorrimor were spekain' about bin commin' from elders an' others who bin speakin' people's speakin' way better'n I were." She nods and sighs as her mood swings yet again.
"Peoples speakin'! It be so confusin'. They's different peoples what use different words fer tha' same thing an' then there's tha' same people's using different words fer tha' same thing." She shakes her head, wincing, "Argh! Sometimes, I dun't think I is ever gon'a learn 'em all right." She exclaims in frustration before looking now sadly to Christoph.
"Like. I dun't even know tha' people's speakin' fer whut t'is me Kin be callin' 'Home'." She blinks, "Well... other than tha' word 'Home, like."
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He comes to the same conclusion as Aliseya after a moment's reflect. He glances at her, "You're a font of knowledge, miss Belododia. I had to think on that for a moment before I recognized it."
"Oh... like, thank you."
Aliseya blushes, smiles, and looks down at the floor a moment before diverting her attention back to the elder host.
The sounds of light jingling jewelry resonate in the cool crisp morning air as Aliseya moves in to give a long, warm, and uninhibited hug to Angelov.
"Thank you soooo much for your hospitality, Mr. Marduszi," she gently tells him. "You take good care. I..." She looks up and around, "...you know, she's still looking after her little brother. Always."
As her friends reach the mounts, she pats her peaches-and-cream-colored halflinger horse very affectionately. "Aww hey Lexy! How are you doing, girl? Aww. Who's my cutie petutie? Who?!"
She then keenly observes with almost-entirely innocent eyes what Christoph is doing with Sunny. Her brow creases ever so slightly as she listens in, even while continuing to effuse very sweet words, syllables, and gentle pats to her horse.