Alara watches Piper storm out with a confused look on her face. She starts wringing her hands nervously before glancing back at the rest of the team. "Um... did I do something wrong?"
When he gets outside, Piper immediately starts pacing. If one were to see him, they would see him making wild and furious signs with his hands. As a few minutes of this, Piper seems to be calming down, stopping his pacing and looking a bit guilty and embarrassed.
Alara steps out the door of the Rusty Dragon after Piper seems to have calmed down and sits on the front step. After a few seconds, she looks at Piper with a concerned look on her face.
"Is everything okay?"
Masamune follows outside and looks at the pacing man.
"Are you all right?"
"What's wrong Piper?"
Sharrd follows talking all the way. "Perhaps we should all buy sacks. That way we could keep score." As they get outside he joins in with the others asking "What's wrong, Piper?"
Looking at his friends, he takes a deep breath and pulls aside William, Alara, and Masamune, gesturing to Sharrd to stay by the door where they can see him. Once he's alone with them, he pulls out the board and writes in both Tien and Elven: 'Yes. I'm fine now. I want to apologize. My behavior was inappropriate. It's just that... well, Alara, do you remember me saying that I know what is like to be in love?'
Alara cocks her head to one side. "Yep."
She is, apparently, completely oblivious as to why you brought this up.
"Oh, so that is what's wrong. Sorry buddy I didn't know. We will try to get you an attempt next."
With a pink tint on his face, he writes in Tien and Elven: 'Well to be honest...I'm in love with Ameiko. I have been for years. She's been my best friend since we were kids. She helped me after my incident...' At this point, he's gently stroking his scar. '...She was also the one who gave me my chalkboard. Part of the reason I went to the White Grotto in Absalom was to show my worth to her. I feel that my worth in her eyes has been diminished since I became mute.' He looks down at the ground, waiting for their reactions.
Masamune seems shocked at Piper's love reveal, but after a while Masamune composes himself, and looks at Piper.
"And why didn't you tell Sharrd about this? It seems to me that you should at least tell the other guy how you're feeling."
It takes a few moments for everything to sink in. Alara's face pales.
"Oh."
She promptly starts wringing her hands again. "I... I'm sorry, I didn't think to ask because I thought it was rude and I didn't want to come off as being nosy because--" She starts rambling, her hands wringing more and more furiously as she builds up steam.
As Sharrd stands alone he suddenly feels a warm tongue go across his head.
He can quite clearly see that Duty, Masamune's horse, has once again gotten out of his reins, and is currently looking at Sharrd with the biggest eyes a horse can muster. With a piteous neigh the horse looks at an apple cart nearby and motions towards the symbol of a big red apple on the side.
Sharrd sighs. Might as well, I've already bought everyone drinks. This just makes it 100%. He walks up to the apple vendor and buys two apples, one for him the other for the horse. While Duty is munching on his, Sharrd goes to the General Store and buys 6 sacks. Coming back out he starts on his apple, but Duty quickly intervenes, taking it from his hand. Sharrd just grunts tries to stare him down and says. "You're lucky your not a sorcerer, I'd have to challenge you to a duel. Wait that would make you a horsecerer." Amused by his joke, he buys another apple and sits down waiting for the Goblin Smashers to come back.
Piper looks at Masamune with a deadpanned expression and writes: '彼はAmeikoの彼の関心についてですいかに明白考えると、どのように彼が反応すると思いますか？' But he looks at Sharrd and thinks, 'But Masamune has a point. I should let Sharrd know about this.' He looks at Masamune and nods, signaling that he would let Sharrd know.
Piper places his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. He writes: 'Tá sé ceart go leor, Alara. Aon dochar a dhéanamh. Buille faoi thuairim mé bhraith mé beagán ... éad. Amaideach, huh? Mise, éad Guy a Tá cúig bhliain agam air.'
Piper looks at you with a small smile and writes in Common: 'Thanks. It's just that I don't want to lose one of the few people who were there in my life. Especially after what... HE did to me.' The word he is capitalized and seems to have been written in a small moment of anger.
Walking out with the group, his steps always steady and smooth, as if he is never in much of a hurry, as he knows he will get there when he is needed, his lack of tact and curious mind had both cost him in his youth and it was a lesson he had learned.
Watching his 'brothers', he walks over to Sharrd and smiles softly, having no idea what is being said between the other group. "Do you think you should, perhaps, slow things down and not be so...overt, Little Brother? In all the years that men have courted Ameiko, she has given nary a one the time of day. You will have to win her friendship, become as close as you can to her, if you are to have a hope. Masa is right, offer to be there for her. And just do that." His voice is soft, his words kept between the two of them.
Masamune nods at Piper.
"All I ask is that both of you guys give the other a fair shot, and don't let this become anything other than a rivalry."
Masamune looks at everybody while Piper writes his other messages.
"Now about transporting the goblin 'goods'. I know that Duty would carry it, but don't let him sucker you into giving him any apples he'll only ask for more."
Masamune is confused when he reads the message, but holds his silence until everybody else can ask about it. If nobody asks who 'HE' is though Masamune takes matters into his own hands.
"Who is this man you speak of, and what did he do?"
Duty nods his head, and neighs sagely at Ash's words. Then he immediately starts nuzzling Ash's good arm and points with his nose towards the apple cart.
"Oh, that's a relief. I didn't want things to get... well... even MORE complicated because of me."
She pauses, then her expression turns pensive. "Well, Sharrd is pretty young... maybe he'll meet someone who fascinates him as much as Ameiko does. Or maybe not. Still..." Alara leans towards Piper & whispers in his ear in Elven with a cheeky grin:
William goes over to pet Duty. "Who's a good horse?" He says as if talking to a dog.
Duty neighs with William petting him, but suddenly seems to almost fall under the weight of the equipment on his back.
Alara walks over to the horse. As she sees it stumble, she smiles and rolls her eyes. Come on. I can fake it better than that. Her eyes seem to say.
Piper looks at each of you. Sighing, he writes: 'My birth father. He never really liked me. Always calling me a murderer due to my mother's death in childbirth. Never even gave me a name. It was always "boy" and "brat". Always hit me too. He must have had enough because on my tenth birthday, he tried to slit my throat. Luckily, Sheriff Hemlock was outside and heard the noise. I was eventually healed by Koya. But the damage had been done. Most of my vocal cords were severed, forcing me to be mute for the rest of my life. I was adopted by the Sheriff, who gave me the name Piper due to my preference for playing the flute. With the help and support of Ameiko and William, I was able to cope and adapt.' At the end of this, he nods in William's direction.
Piper nods sagely at Alara's words. But when she finishes whispering those words into his ear, he becomes flustered and is blushing pretty heavily. With a slightly shaking hand, he writes: 'An gceapann tú i ndáiríre mar sin?' In his mind he thinks, 'Is she hitting on me?'
Piper looks at Masamune and writes: 'I would offer to carry some of the goods. But I'm at my full capacity.
With a look of determination, Piper approaches Sharrd and writes: 'Sharrd, we need to talk.'
Piper walks to the horse.
With a look of pity to the horse, he pets it's main, telling him that it would be alright.
"No problem Piper, it was fun trying to cheer you up before the incident and after I just knew that I had to do something to make sure I didn't lose a friend.
Masamune puts a hand on Piper's shoulder.
"Don't worry we will never let anything like that happen to you again friend."
As Piper talks about carrying things Masamune shakes his head.
"No worries. Some horse who shall remain nameless *cough* Duty *cough*. Needs to work off some of the fat that's been getting on him."
Duty's ears immediately perk up at the word 'fat'. With a running leap he tries to bite Masamune's hair.
With a small soft neigh Duty misses biting Masamune's hair, but still looks angrily at him.
At Piper's words regarding his father, Alara's face becomes very
very
blank.
To anyone with a working pair of eyes, Alara is experiencing an emotion she rarely feels: anger. Genuine, cold anger.
It passes after several seconds, but there is no mistaking it being there.
Alara reads your face closely, noticing your blush. It takes her a moment to figure out why you're blushing.
"Tá a fhios agam sin. Labhraíonn tú an teanga níos fearr ná mar is féidir Sharrd."
"Er, not that I'm trying to give you the wrong idea or anything, but do you ponder that question often?"
"With regards to carrying stuff, I'm kinda full up. I need to travel light to be at my best." Alara says, jiggling her satchel as she does. The sound of her gear rattling around in there is muffled, but still fairly clear.
"I can still carry some stuff, though I think I've over stuffed by pack in order for me to carry it."
"We only need to carry ears, and a head. That can easily fit in Duty's bags, and if we need to carry more I can do it. I'm not overloaded at all."
"We don't know how many ears we can get, there might be quite a lot." He says with a grin on his face as the thought of killing the goblins who have been messing with Sandpoint for years comes to mind.
Shaking his head, he does not like this venture, but he will be there beside his brothers.
"Would I have time to go and inform Koya of our intent?"
"We have to talk to the sheriff in the morning, so I don't see why we wouldn't."
"Sure, its better that she knows what we are getting ourselves into so she knows just how much healing she will have to do when we get back!"
"If Koya has to heal anyone, then I have failed."
"Or just ran out of healing power, I don't quite know how that stuff works but it can happen right? Similar to how a fighter gets tired after a long battle?"
Piper shakes his head and writes: 'Uimh. Bhí mé annamh bean tarraingteach go gar dom roimh.'
Piper ponders about the possible weight of the goblin ears.
Unable to find an answer, he shakes his head and writes: 'I'm unsure if the ears would be light enough for us to carry without affect our carrying capacity. Anyway, we should talk to Dad before we head out. Maybe he can give us more information.'
Watching his 'brothers', he walks over to Sharrd and smiles softly, having no idea what is being said between the other group. "Do you think you should, perhaps, slow things down and not be so...overt, Little Brother? In all the years that men have courted Ameiko, she has given nary a one the time of day. You will have to win her friendship, become as close as you can to her, if you are to have a hope. Masa is right, offer to be there for her. And just do that." His voice is soft, his words kept between the two of them.
Well, I've done that. I just hope the two of you are right. And I do appreciate the advice."
With a look of determination, Piper approaches Sharrd and writes: 'Sharrd, we need to talk.'
Sharrd, who has spent the remaining time organizing the sacks as to size, keeping the largest for himself says "Sure, what about?"
Piper shakes his head and writes: 'Uimh. Bhí mé annamh bean tarraingteach go gar dom roimh.'
Alara looks a bit nonplussed. "Tá tú a bheith annamh gar do Ameiko?"
Looking at Alara, Piper writes: 'Uimh Ameiko Tá sé léirithe ag an ghaireacht roimh. Mé ní hamháin a bhíonn sé sna cúig bliana seo caite mar gheall ar mo chuid staidéir i Absalom.'
Piper, with a nervous look, writes: 'It's about Ameiko.'
Looking at Alara, Piper writes: 'Uimh Ameiko Tá sé léirithe ag an ghaireacht roimh. Mé ní hamháin a bhíonn sé sna cúig bliana seo caite mar gheall ar mo chuid staidéir i Absalom.'
Alara's eyes light up; an idea appears to have popped into her head.
"Ag labhairt di ar Ameiko, tá iarracht tú ag comhlíonadh le díséad léi?"
With a smile, Piper writes: 'Mé díséid dhéanamh le Ameiko nuair a bhí muid níos óige. Bhí sé ar cheann de na bealaí gur chabhraigh mo chuid scileanna níos fearr. Ba mhaith liom a fháil go minic mé féin entranced ag a. Ba é an bealach imir sí samisen maorga. Agus fuaimeanna a guth mar sin de aingeal!' After noticing his surroundings, he coughs lightly and, with a reddish tint on his face, quickly writes: 'Tá brón orm. Fuair beag chun tosaigh ar mé féin.'
Alara's eyebrows arch slightly. "Tá sí an guth de aingeal, ansin?"
She glances towards the sky with an expression commonly found on daydreamers. "Is féidir liom a chanadh freisin. B'fhéidir gur féidir liom canadh léi lá amháin..."
"If Koya has to heal anyone, then I have failed."
Alara gives you a reassuring look. "I think you're being too hard on yourself. Besides, we haven't set out yet; we can use this time to gather information on where we're headed off to. The more we know, the less it'll hurt, right?"
Piper, with a nervous look, writes: 'It's about Ameiko.'
This gets Sharrd's interest. "What's wrong with Ameiko? Is she in trouble."