The fortune teller had come back in after a quick chat with Lou. "Well, it seems to be settled. We'll stick around for a little while at least. We've got a cook, but he doesn't mind handing it off if you're exuberant. The old guy you haven't seen yet is liable to be entirely disagreeable, but I think the rest of us are ready to settle down for a bit."
With that he seemed to notice the lady passed out against the wall. "Some of us more than others."
Shelby's eyes open and narrow at Tshilaba as she notices that he indeed was referring to her. She continues to glare with her doe eyes, her foot tapping impatiently. She was ready to get on with things, get done with the goblins, get her second skin back, the one of metal. Retrieve the glory that had so far eluded her. Instead, she was the butt of the joke of a charlatan.
She gets out her whetstone and starts to sharpen her sword, then her dagger, grimacing as the fabric of her tunic stretches across her chest at each extension of the arm. Yes, getting back in her armor was a priority.
Datura finds lots of halfling tracks and signs of a struggle. It seems that Walthus was merely going about his day when he was attacked. Other than that, there is little to go on.
"You've lost a lot of blood," Liera says quietly to Walthus. "We'll stay overnight and make sure you're alright in the morning." She flinches as Shelby begins sharpening her weapons, the repetitive sound grating on her ears. "I don't know if I can do any more, so I suppose now, we wait?"
The fortune teller smiled as his words spurred the young Iomadaen into action. She was just so feisty, it kind of reminded him of... No better not think about that. It's time to move forward.
Tshilaba went outside and sat down on the soft ground and shuffled his cards, absently tossing one into the air and catching it. For some reason he felt a bit morose. He'd always enjoyed the fact that when he tossed his cards into wood they'd at least still be visible. But now that he'd started killing monsters with them, the cards were destroyed and their artwork was lost. Something had to be done.
He went back into the house and dragged the body out and retrieved his Locksmith card, piece by piece out of the wound. It had lost much of it's consistency, but he was pretty sure he'd gotten the whole thing. Using a magical trick to clean it from blood, he used it again to clean off his clothing and make him smell fresh after the day's walk through the mud. He placed the bits of card in a pocket and thought about working on trying to use that magical trick to try to piece the card back together. Perhaps it would serve as a fine diversion while he waited for food to be prepared.
Jin slides down next to Shelby and looks at Walthus. "What are you doing out here anyways?"
"M-me? I'd have told you I was the Warden of Brinestump yesterday. Today, I'm wondering about that myself," Walthus answers.
Datura finishes up his investigations and comes back around to the front to explain what he saw. "Well, the thing appears to have been acting alone. I saw no sign of any others beyond it and his victim." He spares a nod to Walthus for as much as a greeting as he offers. "Between its rambling, and lone nature, I don't feel their was any exterior motivation beyond locale for the attack. Regardless, it doesn't seem like the goblins are the type to coordinate something like this."
He turns and looks out the front door, "Awwwwd!... You know what, go ahead. No one should mind."
Turning back to the others he adds, "If the plan is to stay, we would still be wise to keep watch as we did previously, though I think we are taking quite some time to accomplish our goal of removing the goblin threat. Awd will be on watch all night as well." With that he goes around the interior, checking for the security and safety of the place.
Awd follows Datura as normal, but as he goes in the house, she stops at the discarded body of the dead creature. She gives it a sniff, a quick taste, then begins to chew on a meaty leg.
When she hears her name, she looks up at Datura, blank expression and half a leg dangling from her mouth. He makes noises at her, then turns away. Given no commands, she returns to her fairly fresh meal.
Shelby looks up from her task, smiling at Jin as the woman slides down next to her. As the nature-loving elf comes in and tells them what he found out, stating his opinion of their progress, the warpriestess chuckles wryly. The two most surly people in this group wanted to hurry, the others wanted to stay, for the halfling's sake.
Seeing as how even she couldn't extend sharpening two weapons into a full day, she sighs as she puts up her weapons and whetstone, turning to the eastern-descended woman. "A bit different than Korvosa, isn't it? Ya know, when I decided I wanted to be in Iomedae's service, to combat injustice and protect the meek and mild, trudging through a dirty, smelly swamp wasn't exactly the picture I had in mind." She grins at the smaller woman, her tone self-deprecating.
The night passes without incident. The next morning, everyone wakes up to the smell of cooking eggs and sausages and baking bread.
Liera's nose wakes her - her nose, and Speckle placing one tiny paw on it to alert her to his own hunger. She yawns, stretching, realizing she's fallen asleep at the table. She looks around blearily, not realizing her hair has unwrapped itself in places from her horns. "Who's cooking?" she asks, barely coherent.
Jin stretches with near feline grace, stifling a yawn. "Good morning, everybody." she says with a sleepy grin.
Tshilaba had eaten his fill the night before. Conversation was light and not terribly stimulating so the Varisian had spent the night contemplating the arcane. As a result, he fell asleep way before normal. It was nice being in a house today instead of the swamp or even his tent. He even had a decent watch period with Liera, though neither of them talked much.
Breakfast was cooking, and if Tshilaba's mood was irrepressible when he was hungry yesterday, today he was effervescent. "Good morning O Undaunted Diplomat Dilettante. You look like you've slept well."
She turns again to Jin, "Of course, it was all by Her design, ultimately. Behind the sheltering hands of my parents, I would never had turned to Iomedae, and thus wouldn't have fulfilled whatever destiny lies ahead for me. Such future prizes seem like pale rewards for the price paid for them, most days. Yes, I miss it terribly. But you and Koya and even Liera help me bear it." She smiles a bit more openly at Jin, leaning tiredly against the wall.
Shelby awoke in the early morning hours, a half hour before the sun broke the horizon. Remembering she had sharpened her weapons the night before, and since she actually was without her armor this morning, she tiptoes around the others, going outside in the dark purples and reds of the pre-dawn. She unsheathes her sword and starts to go through her routines, starting with attack, then defense. As the sun rises, she smells eggs and sausage, and decides to hurry through the rest of her exercises. From the exertion yesterday, her muscles are already warm, her excitement beginning to grow as another day possibly brought another opportunity to prove herself to the Inheritor.
She enters the small dwelling, sweat damping her dark hair down into a semblance of order on her head. She grins at Jin, "Good morning to you." Noticing her foster sister rising, and her unkempt hair, she smiles softly at her, walking over and attempting to redo the hair to cover up her heritage.
As the card-reader starts to speak, she initially rolls her eyes out of habit, then looks down. She approaches the man, standing nearly eye level with him. Pride wells up inside her, trapping her words for an awkward few moments before she says, "Do you have the card? You know, the one that is torn apart?"
The fortune-teller noticed her musk first. Her constant practice gave her the smell of a dancer when she came up close. Of course, warning flags were waving like bushes during a hurricane in his head. Verbal sparring was one thing, but this up close and personal thing made him a bit uncomfortable. Of course, he didn't want to show it. It might be bad for business. She already had a grudge for some odd reason.
Concerning the card, he was a little hesitant to pull it out, but whatever reason she had couldn't ruin it anymore. Besides, he could just draw a new one when he got the time. "Ah, the locksmith? He's had better days." He pulled out the card remnants from his pocket, holding it gingerly in his hands. "I'm able to clean them up, but I can't really fix them yet. That magic is yet beyond me. To be honest, I'd never really thought about fixing them after I threw them before."
She patiently waits for the card remnants, letting the fortune teller speak as he pulls the tattered and broken thing from his pocket. Her dark eyes remain on the floor until he gets all the bits out, listening to his ramblings. Of course he doesn't know how to fix them...he seems utterly devoid of foresight.
Once everything is gathered, she takes the pieces and rearranges them in his hands, matching it up as she would a puzzle until the picture is reassembled but for crevices where the thing has been torn. She closes her eyes, praying silently to her goddess, her hands above the card. Divine magic travels a short distance from her outstretched digits to the card, the fibers of the paper weaving themselves back together, the card repairing itself.
When she is done, she opens her eyes, looking up at the charlatan. Her mouth opens a few times, then she closes it, repeating the process many times. Finally, she hurries out, "Thank you for helping my friend,", then quickly turns and walks back to her corner she has claimed with Jin.
Lou was up practically pre-dawn. he was accustomed to it by now.
he had a hardy breakfast going for everyone by the time they awoke
As others awoke, Lou quietly made sure all were served. not many were interested in the cook, that was fine with him for now.
In her groggy state, Liera doesn't notice Shelby adjusting her hair - she's too focused on Lou, coming by with a plate of food. She yawns a second time, revealing an unusually wide mouth, before it snaps shut and she offers the chef a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Lou," she murmurs, before digging in.
She doesn't realize how hungry she's been until she's halfway through her plate, periodically pausing to feed Speckle some of her bread, or the various greens she carried for him. Once her plate is clean, she picks up the rabbit, and tries to find a shady spot.
She doesn't have much luck.
Sighing, she returns to the others, twirling her hair around one finger. "I don't mean to impose, but... I have something to do, and it needs to be dark. I might have to go into the swamp again. Would anyone be willing to keep an eye out?"
"Would a room with no windows do? I have a saferoom that should be plenty dark," Walthus pipes up as he comes down the stairs.
"Thank you all for staying, If you want to know anything, I can tell you just about anything about Brinestump. It's the least I can do after your help yesterday, and cooking breakfast this morning. It smells delicious!"
Liera starts at Walthus' words, apparently having forgotten he was there. "Oh! Y-yes, that should be fine," she stammers, waiting just long enough to get directions before hurrying up the stairs, Speckle clutched in her arms.
Closing the door safely behind her, she lights a candle and relaxes. The flickering light and the wavering shadows calm her as she slows her breathing, focusing on stroking the rabbit in her lap. Speckle's ears twitch as his eyes slowly droop closed, and both tiefling and rabbit still further as the candle casts its shade around the room.
So that was how it was done. He thought to himself as she knitted the card back together. He'd have to learn that particular trick for himself. When she thanked him he genuinely looked surprised, especially since she runs and hides back in the corner with Jin. An act of generosity was not something he expected from the cheapskate, but it's probably why she was so nervous about it. Maybe she wasn't cheap with everything.
"That took guts to thank me like that." He said loudly across the room. "But, I'd do what I did for anyone, so no thanks is needed. On the other hand, it would cost about three silver in materials to remake that card, so I'll consider your debt paid. It was a pleasure doing business with you." Of course, this would also mean no more public censure of her miserly ways, which he would admittedly miss. Still a kindness that wasn't at least somewhat repaid would leave him in a bad place when dealing with the harrow.
Sighing, she gets ready to accompany Liera outside, her sense of familial duty overriding her irritation at her dark powers. She again sighs, this time in relief, as Walthus offers a dark room of his home, settling back down.
Then, of course, the fortune teller spoke. That he publicly acknowledged what she did already embarrassed her, and her cheeks glow a healthy pink. As he goes on, they burn crimson. She rises to her feet, a dark look on her face. "You damned man, you just couldn't let it alone, could you? There was no debt to be repaid, you fool! You, you, you..." She sputters, angry tears in her eyes, then hurries to the door, shoving it open forcefully, then slamming it behind her.
"What was all that about?" Walthus looks at the others, confused by Selbarina's mood swings.
Lou was standing there cleaning up as the outburst occurred.
looking to Walthus he simply shrugs and hands him the last piece of toast before taking the dirty dishes into the kitchen area.
Archibald shrugs. He had spent the morning tidying up, helping serve, and generally being a good assistant host to his fellow halfling. Which really meant he was Lou's assistant.
I would need to do extensive research to find out, I feel, and we just don't have the time. As we said yesterday, we are hunting goblins with fireworks. Dangerous business.
Datura goes through the morning routine silently. He mostly watches the others, not understanding the point of all these conflicts between the humans. He is about to offer his assistance to Liera, as an opportunity to get away from all the banter, but Walthus offers the room instead.
When Shelby gets once again frustrated with Tshilaba, and storms off, he takes a brief moment to open the door and simply say something to Awd. He then returns to the meal, and readies to mine Walthus for the information they really need. "We are here hunting the goblin tribe in the area. We don't know where they lair. It would go a long way in saving our time and resources if you knew and told us."
Awd turns as the door opens, watching someone exit the building. Unconcerned she returns to the portions of her meal she didn't finish during the night.
She turns as the door opens again, receiving a command, she follows her orders. She finishes the bite she was eating, and follows the person her tender pointed at.
Eyes wide, Jin watches Shelby storm out of the shack. She turns to Tshilaba and quirks an eyebrow. "Shelyn's t*+~, what was that all about?"
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After spending years with the Szarni, traveling around from town to town with tempestuous and passionate people, Tshilaba had only come to one conclusion concerning the zealot. He leaned back against the wall and sighed, fiddling with the newly fixed card in his hand. "Isn't it obvious? She's got a crush on me. She's still working it out, though. I just got to give her space to see if she wants to do anything about it. If you tell her I know, she'll just get mad."
He tossed the card in the air and made a grabbing motion toward it as it seemingly vanished into thin air. "Don't worry. By the time her sister is ready to go, she'll be ready too. She won't let a little thing like emotions get in her way when it comes to goblin killing."
Jin rolls her eyes. "Right. It was a throbbing heart that made her storm out and not you being a tremendous ass."
"It's because I'm an ass that she's so conflicted. But if I was any less, she wouldn't be attracted to me. It's like it's been said. 'Hate and love are mysterious neighbors.' The real opposite of love is indifference."
He pushed off the wall with his back and stood to his full height. He walked over to the skillet and pulled a piece of bacon off and blew on it a little to calm it's angry sizzle. "It's good that you want to stick up for your friend, but I've done nothing wrong. If you don't believe me, fine. Just don't blame me when it goes south." And with that he sauntered out the other door, taking a bite of his bacon. With doubters like this, who knew when he was going to get another meal?
Archibald pulls out a notebook and scribbles the proverb down in his collection of sayings from different peoples.
Datura takes a deep breath and sighs heavily, "Can we worry less about all of your emotional and relationship woes later? We are here to hunt goblins. Stay focused." With that, he indicates that Walthus can continue to answer his question about the tribe.
"If you're hunting goblins, it might do to get those out of the way, friend. Distracted minds and all that. As for where the blighters lair, the quickest way is back to the main road and head down Old Fish Trail. I'd be careful though, Ol' Megus haunts nearby, and she does not take kindly to company," Walthus tells the elf.
"The Licktoads also frequently patrol the swamp, so it would be a good idea to keep your eyes and ears open. When you do find their village, I'd do my best to kill Rendwattle Gutwad, their chief, as quickly as possible. Kill him, and the rest should scatter."
The halfling takes a sip from his tea then returns his attention to Datura once more.
"I hope that's enough for you to complete your quest. That's all I know, and only Megus would know more."
Shelby paces outside, walking off her frustration and anger. She notices the plant-creature nearby, more or less ignoring it afterwards as she tries to say a quick mantra to focus her mind, but a haze of red burns it away every time. She finally turns to Awd, speaking quietly, "It's just so frustrating, ya know? Being misunderstood all the time!" She sits down, slamming her hands down on the ground beside her.
Lou finishes up cleaning up after the meal, and packs some goodies for the road, as the others discuss plans.
he listens to what they are saying, not wanting to be in the dark later on.
after a bit he pours a pair of cups of tea.
looking about he realizes that one is missing.
Lou heads outside looking for his wayward traveling companion.
He finally notices Shelby and goes up to her. While it is always best to believe in one’s self, a little help from others can be a great blessing, as well as the gift of good tea. as he sits beside her offering her a cup of tea.
Shelby absently accepts the cup of tea from Lou, looking off into the distance. His words finally punch through her emotions, and she looks at him with a puzzled expression. "Tea? What's that got to do with anything?" She holds the look for another moment, then starts to chuckles, shrugging. "I suppose tea is as good a reason to feel blessed as any other."
She sips at the tea as they wait for the rest of their companions to exit the building and get ready to go. She turns her head, looking at Lou, "Do you ever wonder what your homeland is like? Or, I guess I should say your ancestors' homeland?"
Muttering, Jin notices Archibald transcribing Tshilaba's words. "Don't write that down, Archie. It's rubbish."
After Walthus speaks up, she asks: "Who's Megus?"
Awd just faces blankly at the woman as she speaks. She just keeps close enough to follow her given command.
As Lou appears, she changes her stance, only to be ready to follow the command if needed. It isn't, so she relaxes with his presence.
Datura takes a mental note of the directions they are given, to include being upset with himself for taking the wrong road for as long as they did. He simply crosses his arms and nods with Jin's asking of the very next question he himself had.
"Megus is an old crone that lives deep in the swamp. She rarely leaves her home, and no one's quite sure what she'll look like when she comes to Sandpoint. Rumor is, she's a witch." Walthus' eyes grow dark, "She isn't a nice person, I'd be wary of getting on her bad side."
Jin crouches to begin putting on her boots, dry from sitting next to the fire all night. "That sounds lovely, it really does. This place has it all. Snakes, bugs, goblins, whatever that thing was last night, and now a cranky witch." She offers the halfling a sly wink. "I can see why you like it out here so much."
Once her boots are back on, she taps a finger against her lips. "You seem to know your way around this place pretty well. Why don't you help us? The goblins must be a threat to you too."
"I guess you guys ran into the Soggy River Monster, then," Walthus says with a grin, "As much as I'd love to help you guys, I'm still drained from yesterday's ordeal. It was not pleasant. Besides, I need to take care of my pets, at least the ones that monster did kill." The halfling looks a little depressed by that fact.