Kendra finishes her meal and dabs at the corners of her mouth before sliding her chair away. "Just let me clear the table, I'll take care of the washing when I return." Once she has cleared the table she is ready to go. She takes you into town and shows you where the forge and the general store are located.
You receive the occasional wary look from those you pass, while others huddle together to gossip and point. You can hear loud music coming from a building , which Kendra identifies as The Laughing Demon, a tavern.
Ravel huddles close to the group, using the numbers to hide her shadow as usual. She keeps Narcissa in the cage hanging from her belt. "Where shall we begin?"
Seeing Ravel 'packed in' on the group, Orin walks over and places a hand on her shoulder. "Is all well?
"Yes, thank you Orin. The sun is not my ally."
I am thinking that we should begin with the store. Mayhaps they will have a parasol to block the sun for you
"Oh how thoughtless of me! I have several at home, it would not have been a problem at all for you to take one, Ravel."
"Yes, perhaps they will. It is all right, Kendra. Thank you for offering."
Ravel huddles close to the group, using the numbers to hide her shadow as usual. She keeps Narcissa in the cage hanging from her belt. "Where shall we begin?"
Terrance starts to makes his way to the general store.
You enter the general store and immediately a little girl roughly 10-years-old runs around the wooden counter and flings herself at Kendra, "Keeeeeeeendra!" Kendra laughs and lifts the girl off of her feet, swinging her around for a moment before placing her back on the floor.
"Hello to you, too, Jamie," Kendra says smoothing down the girl's ruffled hair. But before anything else can be said, the girl catches sight of Ravel and runs back behind the counter, "Mommy, mommy, mommy. That's the lady I told you about! The one who gave us money!"
The girl's mother steps into sight and takes her daughter's hand. She looks over the group warily, relaxing slightly when her eyes land on Kendra, "Is that so? Well, that was awfully nice of her. Did you remember to thank the nice lady?" Jamie pauses for a moment thinking before she whispers, "I can't remember..." Her mother chuckles and says, "Well, perhaps you had better do so now just in case you forgot."
Jamie runs back around the counter and stops in front of Ravel, "Thank you, ma'am," she says with a curtsy. Then, as if in delayed memory, she turns to Orin. Blushing deeply, and far less boldly, the girl curtsies again and says, "And, um, thank you sir."
Chuckling some, Orin shakes a hand up in mild protest. "No, no need to thank me. Wasn't my money in the first place. Say, what did you buy with it? A sweet?"
He looks to Ravel grinning. Looks like at least among the youth of the town they weren't reviled yet.
"No sir, I'm saving it to buy fabric for a new dress. A fancy one. Mommy says she'll put ribbons on it for me, too."
Kendra steps forward, to speak to the girls mother, "Marta, it's a pleasure as always. How is your family?"
Meanwhile, a stocky gentleman comes out from the back being tagged by four more girls who have come to see what is making their sister squeal. The man smiles and nods to Kendra while the girls gather around Orin and Ravel, listening to their sisters tale of how she was singing the Skipping Song with her friends when Ravel and Orin spoke to them, and then Ravel gave her money to tell her about the song.
One of the slightly older girls, thirteen perhaps, looks at Orin and Ravel closely before unabashedly asking Orin, "Is she your wife?"
The man makes his way to the counter, "Girls, girls! Give them some space. I don't think they came here to entertain you!" He then addresses the group, "Welcome, I'm Luthko. Something I can get you folks today?"
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Orin's face goes from smiling to smiling and the same shade as a rose.
"Wi-wi-wife?" He looks over at Ravel then back at the girl. "No, no we're not married. What gave you that idea?"
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"Oh," The girl looks at Ravel curiously before continuing. Instead of answering Orin's question, she appears fixated on the idea of marriage. "Well, why not? She's very pretty. Don't you like her?"
Jamie pipes in with, "My friend Elsbeth's sister Susan is getting married! She said they're going to have a dozen babies!"
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Moving as unseen as possible, Ake keeps her distance from the childern, making sure to scoop up Cuddles into her arms.
Just in case.
Investigating the store, Ake searches for arcane equipment that might help the group out.
And pickles...
Ravel and Orin sitting in a tree...hehehe, a dozen babies...must be part goblin...
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--earlier--
Ioann helps Kendra with clearing the table and all of the after breakfast chores before heading out with the others...
--now--
While the teenager start badgering Orin, the others hear a clear laughter. Laughter, not chucling, no derision, coming from Ioann. For a moment, it seems to Kendra that the old Ioann from her childhood is back. It might even stir some memories in Ravel.
"Who knew you were the kind of men to turn red to a kid's question!" says the man, with a surprisingly friendly intonation.
A bright smile fills Kendra's face, as she takes pause in her conversation with Marta to watch Ioann enjoy himself.
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Ravel chuckles at the children, and entwines her arm around Orin's. "I am afraid that dear Orin and I have not known each other for very long. Marriage would seem a bit rushed. But he is rather dashing, don't you think, girls?" she pats Orin on the arm, smililng. "If anything happens, I will be sure that you girls are the first to know." She looks to the shopkeep. "Good day, Luthko. I am Ravel. Would you happen to have any parasols in store? Or perhaps a new outfit?"
Ravel's response seems to satisfy the girl and she drops the subject.
Luthko shows Ravel a shelf with clothing, "Marta can alter anything you see here to be better fitting for you." There are a few dresses, pants, tunics, cloaks and the like. "As for a parasol, well, hmm... I think we had one or two around here somewhere..." Luthko looks around the shop, digs through some bins and finally produces a parasol though it isn't fancy by any means it would get the job done.
Jamie tugs on Ravel's hem to get her attention.
Ravel will look for a darker-toned traveler's or explorer's outfit. She nods as Luthko produces the parasol. "Yes that work splendidly. We also have been having some difficulty with stuck doors and hinges. Do you have hammers and prybars?" Ravel looks down at the child. "Yes, little one?"
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Ravel is able to find a deep, dark chocolate brown traveler's outfit and a hunter green explorer's outfit. Neither of them will fit her well, but she can make due or have them altered for a small fee.
"Aye, though you might find better ones at the smith across the way. He probably has some oil, too."
The little girl looks up at Ravel and asks hopefully, "Do you want to go outside and skip rope with me? I can teach you the Skipping Song!"
The other girls have begun to break away from Ravel and Orin and have moved on to investigating the others in the party. The girl who asked about marriage moves on to Ioann, since he found her questions so funny. "Are you married, then?"
A toddling girl with curly blond hair decides that she wants Terrance to pick her up as she approaches him and stretches her arms up to him. This causes Marta to fidget nervously but she says nothing, only watches Terrance out of the corner of her eye as she continues to catch up with Kendra.
At perhaps seven years of age, a very quiet and meek girl closes in on Ingrid and whispers to her, "Why are you glowing?"
Meanwhile, the oldest and obviously the one with the most manners attempts to make polite talk with Gellius. "Have you ever been to Ravengro before?"
Ake has yet to be detected by the flock of children, or the parents for that matter.
Ingrid smiles crouching down to one knee to look the little girl in the eyes. "You know, I asked my mother that question when I was little, when I noticed that other people didn't glow. She said it was because my grandfather was half-angel, and that I sort of took after him."
Terrance smiles and then looks at the mother as he kneels down.
Hi little lady he says gently, but loud enough for Marta to hear. My name is Terrance, and you are?
He gently picks her up, and carefully holds her, as he moves to Marta can keep a better eye on her, and he can speak to her.
Lass, if you don't want me to, I can always set her back down.
The little girl talking to Ingrid blinks a couple of times as she processes this new information before simply saying, "Okay. Papa says that you're in Ravengro because your friend passed away. I'm very sorry that your friend passed away."
The toddler now in Terrance's arms begins sucking on her fingers as she watches the dwarf wide-eyed. She doesn't respond to his introduction; she just stares intently. When he moves closer to the girl's mother, Marta glances to her old friend Kendra to gauge her reaction. When the sight simply makes Kendra smile, Marta relaxes a little, "Oh, no, it's alright. Just be careful or she'll never let you put her down again." She offers a nervous chuckle.
"Thank you sweetheart, I miss him a lot. We all do, and we're all helping each other to deal with it." she says with a smile, tussling the little girl's hair as she glances over at Kendra.
The little girls smiles and then offers, "I can help you find things. In the store, I mean. If you're looking for something to buy."
In that case Lady Marta, if you don't mind, I will carry her around the store while I pick up some purchases.
Transferring the young girl to his left arm, Terrance starts moving around the store to get some purchases.
The woman hesitates and looks to Kendra for reassurance. Kendra smiles and says, "She couldn't be in safer hands." So, Marta nods and says, "Very well."
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Grabbing as many jars of pickles and jerky as she can reasonable carry, Ake places them quietly on the counter.
Um, how much please?
Attempting to be unseen by the children, she keeps the hood of her cloak low and her scarf high on her face.
Cuddles moves with the jars and sits quietly among them, waiting for her mistress to pay.
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"That would be wonderful little one," Ingrid says standing up ad taking the girl's hand as she walks around the store.
Ravel smiles. "I will pay for my purchases momentarily. I have need to skip rope." Ravel will follow the girl outside, cautious to not step into direct sunlight if possible.
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The man behind the counter looks down at Ake a little wide eyed but rings up her purchases and says, "That'll be one gold, four silver, please."
When Ingrid takes the child's hand she seems shocked by the contact initially, but soon smiles and settles into it, "My name is Sarah. What are you looking for today?"
Jamie squeals with delight as she nearly drags Ravel outside. The building is situated in such a fashion where you are in its shadow. Jamie shows you that she's tied one end of a rope to the railing so that two people can play alone. She spends a few moments instructing you on how to not get hit with the rope while you jump then starts singing the Skipping Song.
"Put her body on the bed.
Take a knife and lop her head.
Watch the blood come out the pipe.
Feeds the stirge, so nice and ripe.
Drops of red so sparkly bright.
Splatters spell her name just right.
With a hammer killed his wife.
Now he wants to claim your life.
Tricksy father tells a lie.
Listen close or you will die."
Ioann stops laughing and returns to his usual gloomy attitude upon beeing asked whether HE is married. To answer, he kneels down to face the girl and stares into her eyes.
"No, I am not. And it is better this way.Because I am a scary man." he ends in a whisper, not one destined to scare her, but more as a secret he just shared.
Kendra's eyes flicker to Ioann as he converses with the girl and she shakes her head slightly. Luthko and Marta don't seem to have caught the whispered statement.
The girl crosses her arms over her chest, all but rolling her eyes, and whispers back, "Well, you don't seem very scary to me."
Paying for her goods, Ake gathers the lot up in her arms.
She clucks her tongue to get Cuddles on her shoulder, then quietly makes her way outside.
Ioann, scary...hehe. Hard headed, glum, forlorn, but not that scary.
After noting where his selections are, Terrance walks back to where Marta is.
She is a wonderful young lady miss, but I am going to need both hand to carry my selections, so I am returning her to you.
He then passes the young girl back to Marta, and then goes to collect his purchases and go pay for them.
Marta accepts her child back with a smile, even as the girl starts to whimper.
Ake makes her way outside to see Ravel skipping rope with the girl called Jamie.
Ioann goes on staring at the girl.
"Not everything that looks scary must be fear... at the same time, not everything that you must feat looks scary... be careful child." he goes on whispering, still more as a warning than as a way of intimidating her.
The girl looks at Ioann like she thinks he might just be crazy before turning on her heel and going outside to skip rope with Ravel and Jamie.
Ravel smiles, holding her skirts up as she jumps. "My, what a lovely song. Where did you learn it? What does it mean?" Ravel does her best to commit it to memory.