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Early in the pre-dawn, Mr. Whiskers was awoken by a routine scratching on his chest. Slowly waking, he patted the head of Nivean so the lemming would know he was awake. Taking a few moments to stretch and more fully awaken, he got up and went to his pack. He got out some tidbits and fed them to Nivean so that the projected feelings of hunger would end.
He nodded to Einar, the guard currently on watch. He had been traveling with the fellow since Kaer Maga. The fellow could be rather grim at times, but took his duties seriously and was quite handy to have on your side in a fight.
He then went about his morning ablutions before settling down with his spellbook and a candle so he could study. As he finished his preparations, the rest of the caravan was rousing itself.
Shiela Whitefeather informs the entire caravan, "We'll be travelling for longer hours today, and we'll be in Heldren before dusk."She is greeted by ragged cheers from the caravan, eager to finally have a warm, soft bed to sleep in. "We'll stay in Heldren for 2 days to resupply, and pick up those pine planks, those wooden pillars with the ginger bread trim, then we'll be off to Katheer." Lunch break is cut short and the drivers push the horses at a faster pace across the rolling plains.
True to her word, as dusk approaches, the party can see the sleepy town of Heldren in the distance. They can see the sun setting, casting its golden glow on the tiled roofs and brick walls of the quaint country town. The streets, though not very wide, are clean, well-maintained and paved with pebbles. There is a statute of the lady reaching out with open arms, as if welcoming all travellers to the town.
As the caravan enters the town, Shiela calls everyone to help unload the goods in the stables .The stable master, a neatly groomed woman with short brunette hair named Sophia Imirras, comes out to help get the horses calmed down and stabled. "We'll meet here on Thursday morning, 6 am." Sophia announces. Once that is settled, the rest of the caravan head to the Silver Stoat for a drink to cool off after the harsh rigors of the journey.
Believing that he now has some free time, Crummock will go to pay his respects at the Temple of Erastil, then retire to the Silver Stoat to warm himself in front of the fire, and to enjoy dinner.
The Temple of Erastil is made out of granite, but strangely enough, in the alcoves are statues of various gods, Abadar, Desna, Gozreh, Pharasma and even Sarenrae. An old woman with greying hair is having dinner with the elderly village priest. Despite being interrupted in the middle of dinner, the village priest, Natharen Safander is quite gracious about it, and steps foward slowly but steadily, without the aid of a stick, then greets Crummock, " I am Natharen Safander, servant of Erastil. What brings you to His dwelling this fine evening, good sir?"
The elderly woman calls out to Crummock, "Would you like to join us for dinner? I seem to have cooked a little too much. We should all enjoy the fruits of the Earth's bounty."
Crummock nods to the priest.
"Och, greetings, Father. I be Crummock-i-Phail, a follower o' the Wanderer, who just arrived with the caravan. I thought it best to pay me respects at the local shrine; ye cannae be too careful when it comes to the Gods, and it is always best to give thanks for a safe arrival."
He then smiles at the elderly woman.
"I truly be thanking ye for yer kind offer, but I dinnae want to disturb you o'er much - I'll just say my prayers, and be on me way."
'Finally the next leg of our journey, A couple of days in a town will be nice.' Einar Helps unload the wagons and then watches as Crummock heads off one way and most of the teamsters head toward the 'Silver Stoat.' Carrying his pack in one hand and his glaive in the other, Einar Turns to his long time friend and asks "Vat say you Mister Viskers, shall vee join zee teamsters und haben einen Stein?" He looks around a little longer, "Did you see ver Fräulein Cadence vent?"
"Aye it is, especially to the Goddess of the North Star who watches over travellers." Natharen replies, and directs Crummock to the statue of Desna, then leaves Crummock to his prayers.
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Cadence finishes helping stable the animals and help the caravan unload before she goes to her teammates. "My family lives here in Heldren. Maybe you all can come visit, or come out with me? I'd love for all my family to meet you. I'm in the Anakevo farmhouse north of the temple, but anyone in town can direct you there. If not... I'll surely come to the Silver Stoat tonight. My uncle runs it."
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'Ah speak of the devils' Seeing Cadence approaching Einar stops for a moment as she catches up. Watching intently, he breaks eye contact after he realizes he was staring, He looks from Cadence back to Mister Whiskers, trying not to seem to excited, "Vat do you zink Mister Viskers, zat sounds like a good idea to me, ya. Shall vee Join Fräulein Cadence and meet her familie?"
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"Hey Cadence! You're back from the Kith in Oppara?"An old man named Orillus Davigen calls out to Cadence as he bumps into her while on his evening stroll. "I heard the Opera there is really wonderful, you really must tell me about it over a few drinks sometime. I know your family is waiting eagerly for your return, I won't keep you chatting too long!"
A young girl, Adelia, with curly blonde hair, blue eyes and two missing front teeth, tugs Cadence's leather tunic. "Will joo be singing at the Silver Stoat? We missed jour voice. Kale missed joo too."Her mother tugs her away from Cadence. "Don't bother Cadence, I'm sure her family is waiting for her return. She turns to Cadence apologetically, "Sorry, Adelia really missed you. We all do. But I think your family misses you more, so you'd better hurry to them."
Cadence's house's house is a cheerful brick house with a tiled roof. Very delicious smells are coming out from the chimney. Upon entering the house, the party sees Cadence's entire family having dinner at a big round table. ”Oh Cadence, you’re back! I’ve missed you so much!” Beatrice knocks over her chair in her excitement to rise and give Cadence a bear hug. George, being on the short side, settles for hugging Cadence's leg, like one would hug a teddy bear, and she is nearly piled under by the enthusiastic hugs and kisses from her family. There is a clamor of voices as everyone tries to ask Cadence questions.
"Cadence you need to tell us what Bard College was like!"
"Do they teach you how to fight in Bard College?"
"Were the people there nice? Do they sing as well as you do?"
"I want to be a bard too! I heard they learn magic! And their stuff doesn't fall apart so easily! How do I get into Bard College?"
"I would enjoy visiting with Miss Cadence and her family, but it would be nice to get a bath first!" Mr. Whiskers says to Einar.
Turning to Cadence, he asks "Does the Silver Stoat have rooms for travelers? I believe there was mention of soft beds, but then it was called a tavern."
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"I am back for a bit! And yes, the opera was lovely. You should see what ridiculous things people wear there, not just on stage, but in the audience!" Cadence picks up Adelia and swings the girl around. "I missed you and Kale both! Of course I'll be singing there tonight!"
When she gets home, she giggles. "One at a time! One at a time!" Then she sees Einar, Mr. Whiskers, and Crummock. "Would you like to meet some of the people I traveled with? They helped me rescue a bard from a tower! Can we invite them to dinner? I'd be happy to get some extra provisions from the bakery and the tavern if we need more food to help cover for our guests!"
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"YAY!" The little girl squeals in delight as Cadence swings her around."Luv joo!" And she gives Cadence's waist a hug.
"All your friends are welcome to dinnat our hearth and home." Alfred replies gravely, "But you're right, we'll probably need 2 venison meat pies and one tub of roasted bellpeppers to cover for the guests. Why don't you go to the tavern to get those?"
"Dorja, go get some more loaves of bread warmed up." Beatrice says, and Dorja goes to the kitchen to warm up some bread.
"Please take a seat," Beatrice pulls out some chairs from the store and gestures for the party to take a seat beside the dinner table. "Erlis, bring out the extra cutlery." Erlis zips into the kitchen to take out the plates and eating utensils, and begins laying them on the table.
The dinner table has a pot of clear chicken broth with chopped celery and carrots. There are several loaves of rye bread, and there is a roast lamb leg with mint sauce, a carved steak with black pepper sauce, a baked trout in lemon butter sauce, and a pot of brussel sprouts with fried bacon bits.
"Please make yourself at home and feel free to help yourself," Beatrice encourages the party.
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Mr. Whiskers sniffs the air and smiles. "Smells wonderful! Thank you so much for inviting us in." After taking a seat, he brings Nivean out and rests her on his shoulder.
He waits his turn, taking small portions of every dish. "What a wonderful bounty! So many different types of food!" He gives Nivean a small chunk of bread and part of a brussel sprout as he eats.
He asks George "How old are you? Have you learned your numbers yet?"
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"Oh no, we're honoured to have all of you here today."Beatrice beams at Mr Whiskers. "There have been many trade caravans passing through ths summer. They always stop to resupply and buy our local produce. There's plenty for everyone!"
George answers, "I'm four."Then he raises up 4 fingers. "I can count to ten!" And he bounces excitedly. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5...,"He scratches head for a while, then announces proudly, "10!"
"You're so furry, just like Mr Meow. Can I stroke your fur?"George asks Mr Whiskers, longingly.
"Now don't go bothering nice Mr Whiskers, George..."
After Cadence leaves to get more food, Erlis, a toned teenager with long blond hair and blue eyes, approaches Einar.
"You look big and strong. Even stronger then Cadence. I bet you win every fight you get into." She looks at Einar admiringly.
"And what a nice glaive you have, such long reach. That lets you stab people before they even get near you, right?" She asks Einar. "Can you teach me how to use a glaive?" She pleads with him. "I want to become a shieldmaiden when I grow up and go around the world vanquishing evil!" She proclaims.
Alfred gives a sigh, as if this is the sort of thing that happens all the time. "Please teach her everything you know,"He says, then looks directly at Einar. In his eyes, unspoken are the words, 'so that she can stay alive. The world is a dangerous place.'
’It is good that Cadence knows these folks, but I do not know them or they me. Maybe later she can tell me where the cobbler is to have his hide made into boots.’ As they leave the stables Einar pulls the hood of his cloak up over his head to help cover his horns. Following Cadence through the town he keeps his head down and shoulders stooped so as to not draw attention to himself.
’Little children, several of them apparently; this is very much like Ivan and Helga’s home, or at least before I butchered them and burnt it to the ground.’ Walking into the house, Einar stands up straight and removes his hood revealing his small black horns. Clicking his heals together and giving a quick bow, he greets Cadences family. ”Guten abend, vielen Dank für Ihre Gastfreundschaft.” As he straightens he realizes he had greeted them in Skald, ”My pardon, Zank you for your hospitality.”
As Cadence’s family performs the familial folk dance of serving dinner, Einar moves to the table and selecting a chair with its back to the wall and a good view of the door, he sits down. Attempting to nod graciously when making eye contact or spoken to; when dinner is served he passes the dishes along, helping himself to some of everything, but a little more of the meats. As he eats he demonstrates impeccable manners while chewing his food carefully so as not to show his fangs.
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Cadence arrives at the tavern. "Uncle, I'm home from school!' She runs up and hugs the publican. "Can I buy two venison pies and a tub of roasted peppers from you? I've brought a whole bunch of guests over from the caravan... I think they'll be staying there with you, though!"
She runs her fingers along the wooden countertop, remembering how many times she sung in this bar before getting the scholarship to the Kith. The Kith had been endlessly challenging, so many city folk, many of whom had viewed her as a little more than a hick.
How nice to be back home in Heldren. Suddenly, she feels worldly and accomplished. She knew that in a short while Heldren would become boring and small again, but for now it's the home that she missed so much.
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"Oh no, we're honoured to have all of you here today."Beatrice beams at Mr Whiskers. "There have been many trade caravans passing through ths summer. They always stop to resupply and buy our local produce. There's plenty for everyone!"
Mr. Whiskers finishes the bite of trout he was chewing before wiping his mouth and replying "Thank you, it tastes great!"
George answers, "I'm four."Then he raises up 4 fingers. "I can count to ten!" And he bounces excitedly. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5...,"He scratches head for a while, then announces proudly, "10!"
Clapping his hands, Mr. Whiskers says "Very good!"
"You're so furry, just like Mr Meow. Can I stroke your fur?"George asks Mr Whiskers, longingly.
"Now don't go bothering nice Mr Whiskers, George..."
Looking around -- making sure he doesn't see any signs of a cat -- he says "As long as Mr. Meow isn't here, perhaps you would like to pet Nivean instead? She has much nicer fur than I do!"
He reaches up for Nivean and brings her down to where George can pet the tiny lemming.
Grabbing the chunk of bread she was nibbling on as she is lifted, Nivean settles into Mr. Whiskers' paws. She tucks the crumb under her forepaws and looks over it at the human in front of her then sniffs the air.
The tavern itself is made of oak and decorated with colourful buntings, packed to the brim with tired Caravaners, sharing food and pints of the house special, the Three Devils Ale. Meanander, a tall man with a mop of curly red hair, greets Cadence, ”Cadence, we haven’t seen you for so long, how was the Kith?”, then gives her a peck on her cheek. ”Sure not a problem,” He replies to Cadence’s requests, and takes out two venison pies from under the counter while his wife, Kale, a matronly woman with short curly blonde hair gets a tub of roasted bellpeppers. ” Wud yer loike a barrel av de gaff speshal, de tree devil's ale?” Kale offers.
”Yup, freshly caught from the stream, in Pheasant Valley just about a mile from here. And the lemons came from the backyard.”Beatrice states proudly, glad that her guests are enjoying the food.
”Oh, isn’t she adorable,” George says scratches Nivean behind her ears as he feeds her a bit of rye bread.
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"Sure, let's get some of the special ales as well!" Then she pauses. "Is there a story behind the ale's name?" If there was, it might be fun to tell it to Einar.
She gathers the groceries and the tale, if there is one, to take back to her family. "I come bringing additions to the meal! Have I missed anything?" She sits between Einar and Erlis, smiling at everyone!
"Ah aye, me grandfather wus such a gran' poker fiend dat yer man club de divil in 3 rounds av poker. De divil 'ad promised wi' me uncle a devilishly gran' bru as de prize, an' we’ve been passin' it down de family ever since." She replies to Cadence's question with a quick smile as she passes Cadence a barrel of the Three Devils Ale.
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She leans in as the child rubs her head. So nice! Oh, and food too!
She reaches for the piece of rye bread and starts nibbling on it as the child continues to rub her behind the ears.
"She likes you, George!" Mr. Whiskers says, continuing to hold Nivean in his paws. "Her name is Nivean, which means snow."
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"Cadence, I've been trying to get your friend here to show me how to use a glaive," Erlis complains as she tugs Cadence's sleeve. "I want to go adventuring like you too!" She gestures at Einar, "But he's been sitting there like a lump!"
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"Can I keep her?" George asks Mr Whiskers ingenuously.
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"Cadence, do you want to see some fireworks?"Freya, a young girl with short fiery red hair offers eagerly. "I've been practicing soooo hard!"
"Not indoors!"Both Beatrice and Alfred protest in unison, then realizing they had inadvertently spoken together, look at each other and give each other a smile.
"Can I keep her?" George asks Mr Whiskers ingenuously.
Shaking his head, Mr. Whiskers says "No, she is my friend. If you continue to study your letters and numbers, maybe you can learn magic and find a friend like her!"
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Cadence grins at her sisters, and then smiles at Einar, who seems suddenly shy and perhaps a little overwhelmed by her family.
"We can't let him sit like a lump, now can we?" She squeezes Einar's hand to belie her words and show Einar she's teasing. "How about we let all our guests finish dinner, and then we can practice polearms and watch fireworks. Outside, of course!" she adds for her parents benefit.
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After Cadence leaves to get more food, Erlis, a toned teenager with long blond hair and blue eyes, approaches Einar.
"You look big and strong. Even stronger then Cadence. I bet you win every fight you get into." She looks at Einar admiringly.
"And what a nice glaive you have, such long reach. That lets you stab people before they even get near you, right?" She asks Einar. "Can you teach me how to use a glaive?" She pleads with him. "I want to become a shieldmaiden when I grow up and go around the world vanquishing evil!" She proclaims.
Alfred gives a sigh, as if this is the sort of thing that happens all the time. "Please teach her everything you know,"He says, then looks directly at Einar. In his eyes, unspoken are the words, 'so that she can stay alive. The world is a dangerous place.'
’A shield maiden, ah the dreams of children. With her blond hair and blue eyes, this one looks like Bjorns daughter, and about the same age when I…Pushing his thoughts away, Einar swallows his beef and points to the glaive with his fork. ”A Schildmädchen ya. Zee glaive is a serviceable veapon , somevat generisch, but fuctional ya.” He nods over to Crummocks shield, ”But you must choose, Schildmädchen oder Speermädchen, Shield maiden or Spearmaiden, ya, Ven you learn veapons you vill learn, all veapons, but to become Experte you vill learn besondere Fähigkeiten, special skills. ” Einar stops speaking for a moment when Cadence enters the house, shrugging his shoulders when Erlis accuses him of sitting like a lump. He answers, his voice seeming to carry a bit of melancholy . ”It has been a long time since I have eaten dinner vit somevones family.”
Cadence grins at her sisters, and then smiles at Einar, who seems suddenly shy and perhaps a little overwhelmed by her family.
"We can't let him sit like a lump, now can we?" She squeezes Einar's hand to belie her words and show Einar she's teasing. "How about we let all our guests finish dinner, and then we can practice polearms and watch fireworks. Outside, of course!" she adds for her parents benefit.
Making eye contact briefly with Cadence. He leaves his hand on the table, speechless for a moment, then answering, ”I have finished, If you vould like to take zee Kinder draußen, zee children outside I vill accompany you, but I vould prefer leaving zee weapons in zee rack. I am sure zat zere are Zweige oder Stöcke zat vee can pretend vit.”
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"But..but I don't have magic."George bites his lips and pouts."Freya is the one who can make sparklies, and she doesn't have a friend like Nivean either!"
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"You can hit harder when you wield a weapon with two hands, no? And if the person is dead, he can't hurt you right? I want to learn to be a spearmaiden then!"Erlis states with determination.
After the sumptious dinner and ale(which is dark, smoky and spicy with a faint cherry aftertaste), of which everyone goes off with their stomachs filled to the brim, the family retires to the porch. Freya shows off a burst of fiery fireworks the shape of a golden imperial dragon shooting off the starry night sky, which Mr Whiskers recognises as Snapdragon Fireworks. The entire party notices that Freya seems to emit a strange warm golden glow as she invokes her magic.
"Oooh. I ate too much." Erlis groans.
She picks up two sticks on the ground, and throws one to Einar.
"En-garde!" She calls out to Einar as she assumes a fencing pose.
Following the family outside Einar watches as the first fireworks go off. 'She is persistant' Einar catches the long, reasonably straight stick. Seeing how she is standing he lifts the sword over his head in a two handed grip, his feet evenly spread apart, "Zee zuerst leeson, do not hold it like zat, hold it over zee head like zis it iz called Die Falken angreifen." smilng he lifts his 'sword' in an offensive gesture.
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Putting Niveon back on his shoulders, Mr. Whispers smiles at George. Guesturing towards Einar, he says "My friend Einar just said how it is with weapons. Choose a method. Magic also has more than one path."
This is getting too deep. Maybe I can switch topics?
Smiling he says "I heard someone say fireworks. Ready to go watch them?"
Einar notices that Erlis is still clad in her hunters leathers. . Despite being stuffed full with dinner, she's still pretty quick on her feet as she lunges forward to poke him in the chest with her stick.
The stick breaks as it comes into contact with Einar's scale mail. "Oops!"She looks mortified as she stares at her broken stick.
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Einar smile, lowering his stick, looking around for something more appropriate, "Do you have somezing more, substanziell? Mayhaps zee extra axe handle?"
"Yeah,spare axe handles are in the shed. But we could've been using real weapons!"Nontheless she goes to the shed to get axe handles for both Einar and her herself.
"Your move." She copies his stance as she eyes Einar warily to determine if his body movements will betray where he will strike next.
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The distraction works."Fireworks!Yippee!"George squeals as he follows Mr Whiskers out to the porch like a puppy.
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'Real weapons, that would not be good' Einar nods, raising his axe handle in the same form that he had showed her, he steps to the right and slashes toward her left shoulder, missing as she steps away.
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She raises the axe handle with both arms and attempts to bring it down on Einar's head in an overhead chop.
Einar manages to dodge at the last moment and the blow clangs off Einar's scalemail.
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'She is quick, with some training she would be a killer, does she really want that?' Leaning just enough to let the blow glance off the armor, "That vas good, You are qvick, But do not overstep, liebchen." Einar quickly slashes at her overextended foot, slapping her calf with a gentle tap.
"Oww!" She yelps the axe handle makes contact with her calf, though she still maintains her footing. "I yield!"She says, as she lowers the axe handle respectfully to the ground. "You're really good, you know!" She praises Einar. "Could you teach me how to do that?"
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'Really good, was I ever that young?' Einar lowered his handle turning it, with the imaginary grip out, and handing it to her like he would a real sword, raising an eyebrow, smiling. "Vat do you think I vas doing liebchen? But to answer zee qvestion honestly, zat is a conversation you must have vit Ihre Eltern und Sie Familie, vit your family, before you have it vit me, ya?"
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Erlis collects his axe handle, holding it revenantly as one might hold a religious relic. "Well, my parents don't mind, do you, Dad?"
Alfred buries his head in his hands, while shaking his head. "She pestered me day and night on how to learn the use of weapons, ever since she was little. She'd play pretend with the sticks, hitting on trees for practice." He pauses for a moment, then continues. "Now sometimes, wolves bother our sheep, and the person on watch had better be able to scare them off. So I taught her the use of a sling. I figured that it would keep her busy and out of trouble." He gives a long suffering sigh."Next thing I see her knocking eaten eggs shells off the garden bench with her sling and pebbles, standing 20 ft away. At the age of 8!
"And she pesters me on the use of other weapons. Now I'm a simple farmer, I only know how to use javelins, spears and a shortbow. I teach her all that I know, then send her over to Iskar, the blacksmith who trains our militia. I'd never get any peace in the house if I didn't allow her to learn from you too!"
"Comeon, it wasn't that bad." Beatrice consoles Alfred, while petting him on his shoulder. "Besides who was it who dealt with Longtooth, the wolf that was killing our sheep? It was Erlis, that's who. She hunted him, down shot him with arrows, then gutted him with a longspear. I was so proud of her!"