"Caw! Caw" cries a crow as it protects it's territory, high up in a limb of the elder oak. It's early evening, and the shadows on the forest floor are getting quite deep. As promised, Copernicus has had a few linguistic people over, having worked on Melan tha's language a little. For now, a small box-like computer is recording her speech for more background.
Samantha relaxes outside of the tree, a hot cup of tea in her hand as she tries to let the day sort of slip away. She's not used to having this many people around her house.
Melantha sits a little way off from Samantha's tree, finishing off a simple childhood tale she had been relating to the shiny box Coper had left with her. She pauses and looks around for something to drink.
Samantha looks up at Melantha. << How is it going? >>
Back at Timothy Zabender's cabin, Stuffit is rummaging through the poor chipmunks things, while listening for Delachiel's comments.
Melantha smiles. <<Ok, I guess. This is a little strange talking to box.>>
Samantha nods. <<Understood. I'm not used to such things either.>>
Melantha looks around. <<Do you have any thing to drink? My throat is a little dry.>>
Samantha pours another cup of tea and hands it to Melantha.
Stuffit chitters as he pulls out some odd spell component from Timothy's bag.
Melantha smiles and takes the cup, drinking the soothing liquid.
Delachiel says, ~~Be careful, Stuffit. It is not polite to go through another person's belongings.~~
Melantha pulls up a chair and sits down next to Samantha. <<Busy day, huh?>>
Stuffit chitters proudly to Delachiel, **Sell for profit?** and then blinks at Delachiel, confused. How can a thief be polite then?
Samantha smirks. <<Very. And loud. Even with three children it's rarely that busy.>>
Stuffit hmmfs and snorts from the dust, then climbs out of the bag, knocking loose a note.
Melantha nods as she sinks down in her chair.
Delachiel shakes her head. ~~Put back and stay alive. Speaking of which...~~ She gets up and grabs a cloak to hide herself under. ~~I'm going to see if I can find the Zabenders.~~
Oryn, who had been perched on the back of Samantha's chair, climbs over onto Melantha's and nuzzles her gently.
Delachiel stops to pick up the note and put it back. As she does this, she naturally reads it.
Samantha turns to watch Oryn, leaning in closer to watch the way the muscles in the little dragon move.
Melantha smiles and offers Oryn some of her tea. As he sticks his head into the cup to drink, Melantha scritches a bit.
Samantha relaxes. <<I must say things have been more interesting since the spacers arrived.>>
Melantha tilts her head a bit, <<Spacers? I've heard this word a few times. What does it mean?>>
Samantha hmmms. <<People who travel through space. The empty space between worlds.>>
Delachiel glances at Stuffit, wondering if the little pick-pocket is joining her or not, as she departs.
Stuffit blinks and with a *poit* is on the elfess' shoulder.
Melantha ahs. <<I see.>>
Melantha looks off toward the setting sun. <<Aren't your little ones due back shortly?>>
Delachiel heads out towards where the family used to live.
Samantha nods. <<They should be, yes.>>
Stuffit chitters softly next to Delachiel's ear. The ferret ponders, wondering if Delachiel will let him steal from Ankhl. Surely a fellow thief is fair game?
Delachiel walks quietly, mostly ignoring the ferret. Finally she whispers to him, ~~You shouldn't steal. You make your own choices, however, and will bear the responsibilities.~~ The Xardeth has pulled up the deep hood, and walks in relative secrecy.
Stuffit wiggles his nose a bit and blinks **Your wish. Still feed, no steal?**
Melantha smiles as she muses, <<You have very nice children. You must be proud of them.>>
Delachiel nods at Stuffit, and does not take the promise too seriously.
Samantha nods. <<I am. I wish I was as proud of the one that's actually mine.>>
Stuffit curls around Delachiel's neck and snoozes as the elfess approaches the elder oak. For someone attuned to magic, it's clear a mage of some sort lives here.
Melantha looks a little concerned. <<You are angry with him?>>
The scuffling of paws and chittering of two young girls can be heard as they climb up to their room high in the tree.
Samantha shakes her head. <<I got past being angry a long time ago. He's somewhat of a thief, and I don't trust the people he hangs around with. Like that idiot I had to save from you.>>
Melantha smiles a little at the thought of that near blunder.
The Xardeth slows down as she approaches, taking her time to observe the surroundings, ambient sounds and the lack of them, and only proceeds to the tree when she is reasonably convinced that no immediate danger lurks nearby.
Samantha sighs. <<They're both too concerned with their own little games, not caring much if others get hurt in the process.>>
Acera calls out, "Night ma!" and Nalae's voice echos the same, if more shyly.
Samantha waves to Acera and Nalae. "Goodnight!"
Melantha smiles to herself as the children bid their mother goodnight.
The two girls giggle a bit, and after a few *thumps* from pillows, they settle down for the night.
Stuffit rubs his nose as Delachiel's hair tickles it.
Samantha sips at her tea slowly.
Melantha starts to take another drink of her tea, but looking in the cup she sees that Oryn had politely finished it for her.
Samantha chuckles quietly, and lifts the pot, looking at Melantha?
Melantha smiles and hold her cup out.
Samantha pours another cup full of tea.
Oryn raises his head in alarm and trills toward an approaching shadow.
Delachiel begins to approach the noises of conversation, still careful, until the trill sounds. She then takes slightly bolder steps, until reaching the sight of the couple.
Samantha tilts her head, looking over in the direction Oryn is glaring at.
Stuffit blinks and wakes up, rubbing his nose with his forepaws. He looks out from the edge of Delachiel's hood.
Samantha says, "Good evening. Come to join us for tea?"
Melantha raises a hand to Oryn to calm him.
Delachiel bows quietly and walks over to Samantha and Melantha. ~~Good evening, ladies. Tea would be very kind.~~
Oryn quiets but sniffs at the strangers and remains uneasy.
Samantha picks up another teacup, which she'd brought out just in case her daughters wanted some. Of course, with two unused teacups sitting there, one could get the wrong impression. She pours some tea into the cup, holding it out to the arrival.
Delachiel accepts the cup, but does not lower her hood yet, glancing around to assess how much danger there is of others seeing her. Her hand is likewise hidden under tight-fitting black leather, yet it's slender fingers hold the cup with elegance as she brings it to her lips in the shadow of the hood.
Stuffit sniffs then disappears, and with a *poit* appears on the table and looks at the other empty cup expectantly?
Melantha looks up at the cloaked stranger and attempts a simple greeting, "h-hh-heel-l-l-o" She takes a deep breath and smiles.
Samantha calmly pours another cup for the ferret. The tea's not as warm as it used to be, but still drinkable.
Stuffit bobs his head in thanks and starts lapping away.
Samantha smiles back to Melantha, nodding.
Oryn squawks with surprise at the appearance of the ferret on the table. He leaps from Melantha's chair to Samantha's and scrambles down the arm toward the table.
Samantha clears her throat at Oryn.
Oryn briefly looks back toward Samantha but continues his pursuit of the intruder.
Delachiel eyes Melantha quietly for a moment. ~~Hello. I do not believe we two have met before.~~ She turns to glance at Samantha.
Stuffit's shiny little eyes notice Oryn, and he hands over his cup of tea, to be friendly.
Oryn leaps from Samantha's chair and lands on the table, knocking over the tea kettle. He comes face to face with the ferret, hissing and snorting.
Samantha shakes her head at the goings-on on the table. She turns to Delachiel, and is about to say something when the kettle gets knocked over.
Stuffit hisses back as best he can, figuring this must be some odd form of greeting.
Melantha jumps from her chair, scrambling to catch Oryn before he does something he shouldn't. She catches him just before he starts to ignite the ferret. <<Oryn, stop that! He's done nothing wrong!>>
Melantha returns to her chair with Oryn in her arms. <<I'm sorry Samantha, I don't know what's come over him.>>
Delachiel freezes for a moment, as she eyes the small confrontation, waiting for it to die down, while grateful for such a chance to observe the reactions of Samantha and the new girl.
Samantha sighs, and picks up the kettle, brushing it off. "Anyway, this is Melantha, who just recently arrived here. She doesn't know the language very well yet."
Delachiel sets down her cup and bows deeply to Melantha. ~~Delachiel Zirghan. A pleasure to meet you.~~
Melantha looks up to Delachiel a little confused then turns to Samantha for a translation.
Samantha sends a mental translation, and tries to keep sort of a 'running' version of the translation going.
Stuffit teleports away before the spreading tea spill, and appears with a *poit* on the arm of Melantha's chair, waving to Oryn. He's not seen such a pretty person his size in quite a while, and wants to make friends.
Oryn sniffs at the ferret, wiggling out of Melantha's arms to investigate.
Samantha turns to Delachiel. "So, what brings you out to this neck of the woods?"
Melantha ohs and smiles back at Delachiel.
Stuffit sits on his haunches and waves at Oryn again.
Delachiel's voice has a barely detectable hint of amusement. ~~Curiosity. There are few people on this world I know, and your son used to be one of them.~~
Samantha leans back, looking up at the elfess. "Used to be?"
Oryn rears back a bit and puffs himself up. He blows a short stream of fire toward the ferret.
Delachiel says, ~~Much water has passed in the rivers of this world since I last saw him.~~
Melantha acks and grabs Oryn, pulling him back into her arms.
Samantha ahs, and nods. "I see." She shakes her head. "I haven't seen Ankhl in a few days, not since Melantha here showed up. And nearly killed the person he was with."
Delachiel tilts her head. ~~For a reason, or by accident?~~
Samantha says, "A bit of both."
Melantha has a great deal of trouble keeping Oryn still. For some reason, he seems adamant in toasting the little furry creature.
Delachiel ignores the commotion, although does glance curiously at Melantha every now and then. ~~How have you all been doing?~~
Samantha says, "It's been an interesting time, certainly."
Melantha decides to try something else. She reaches into one of her pockets and pulls out a little meaty snack she had been saving and hands it to Oryn. Food being the one thing he loves most, he snatches the snack and ignores the ferret.
Stuffit leans his head forward, trying to figure out what Oryn is, and ignoring Delachiel a bit.
Delachiel says, ~~I can imagine. How has life with the off-worlders been?~~
Melantha sighs with relief and then looks up at Delachiel, picking up on some of the words she had said. "I...l-like...h-he-ere." She smiles, "Ve-er-ry...n-ni-ce."
Oryn snorts at Stuffit and continues to eat his snack.
Samantha smiles to Melantha. "Not bad, you're getting the pronunciation down, too." She sends this mentally as well.
Melantha smiles. She notices the curious ferret and reaches into her pocket for a little snack for him too.
Delachiel nods at Melantha. ~~Very good.~~ She then returns her attention to Samantha, ~~Well, perhaps I'll find out what Ankhl is up to. But now I fear I must depart again. I will return.~~
Samantha turns back to Delachiel, "Anyway, life has been settling back down somewhat recently, at least."
Stuffit does his best to sit up and beg, and look cute. He knows that gets you food a lot.
Delachiel says, ~~I~~
Delachiel says, ~~I'm glad to hear that, Lady Samantha. In any event, Timothy will know how to reach me, if the need arises.~~
Melantha smiles and pats Stuffit on the head.
Samantha nods to Delachiel. "All right. I'll keep that in mind."
Oryn finishes his snack and then attacks Melantha's pocket, looking for more.
Delachiel bows again, then walks off into the darkening night, sure that Stuffit can take care of himself.
Samantha turns to watch Stuffit closely.
Just as she arrived, the Xardeth returns, avoiding both life and light as she travels.
Stuffit chitters softly and checks to see where Melantha hides her snacks.
Oryn shoves Stuffit out of his way while he searches for more yummies.
Melantha giggles. <<Ummmm...I think I started something here...ummm....help?>>
Stuffit hmmfs, puts a paw on Oryn, and they both disappear with a *poit*. Stuffit reappears on Melantha's chair seconds later, and Oryn finds himself under some of the dirty laundry by the front door of the house.
A fox can be seen in the distance by Delachiel, walking in the general direction of her.
Delachiel swiftly changes directions in order to avoid encounters, if at all possible.
Samantha frowns, and stands up to look around for Oryn.
Oryn hisses as he pushes his way out of the laundry. He takes flight and lands on Melantha's chair. In a fit of anger he leaps toward Stuffit with intent to hurt.
Stuffit is a true ferret, and just dives under the table, wiggling around happily.
Samantha sighs.
Melantha awwws at her poor baby and hugs Oryn close to her as she produces another snack for him.
Simtra notices something for a moment but then dismisses it and keeps walking.
Samantha glares at Stuffit and Oryn. "All right, both of you _STOP_ it."
As the fox passes Delachiel without noticing it, he can hear some hissing and chittering in the distance, and what may be voices, he hopes.
Stuffit teleports onto Samantha's shoulder, hoping she's a bit nicer.
Oryn snorts in Stuffit's general direction and then gobbles down his snack.
Samantha looks at Stuffit. "You're a little trouble-maker, aren't you?"
The fox turns to source of the noise.
Melantha rolls her eyes and then sighs. <<I really don't know what's gotten into Oryn.>>
The fox calls out to see if the noises are voices that he hears, "Hello? Is anyone out here?"
Stuffit blinks and chitters something to the effect that the other thing started it.
Oryn hisses at yet another interruption.
Samantha raises her voice. "Good evening."
Oryn has had enough, so he climbs up to Melantha's shoulder and curls himself around her neck.
Melantha looks in the direction of the new voice. "G-goo-d e-ev-en-nig."
The fox hearing the voice, walks picks up his pace and quickly near the house.
Simtra says, "Ah, It is good to hear another voice, G'eve to ya."
Stuffit chitters a welcome to the stranger, hoping he has manners and food. Or at least food.
Samantha picks Stuffit up off her shoulder, and sets him back down on the arm of the chair. "I am called Samantha Beiter. How may I help you?"
Simtra bows his head in greeting, "Oh, am sorry, my make is Simtra, and I have been walking for a few days, would you be able to tell me about where I am?"
Melantha tries to be as good a hostess as Samantha and asks "t-tea?", while pointing at the tea kettle and looking at Simtra.
Simtra looks for an empty cup, "Why thank you, I could use some tea. I am quite parched."
Melantha smiles at the positive response, recognizing the words 'thank you' and 'tea' but little else.
Samantha nods. "You're in the middle of the Walden forest, just a little ways south of the city of Haven."
Samantha hmms. "If you want some tea I should make some more, the pot got tipped over by a certain little dragon..." She glares at Oryn before taking the pot back inside the tree.
Simtra says, "Well, I don't want to trouble ya, but I could use something to drink."
Samantha's voice floats out from the tree, saying "That's fine."
Samantha comes back out a minute or two later, with a fresh pot. "It's still steeping. So, how may I help you?"
Simtra removes the pack off of his shoulder? "I am just trying to get to Haven, about how far of an walk would that be?"
Melantha catches herself in a yawn. <<Samantha, I'm very tired. I'm gonna go to bed. Will you be ok out here?>>
Samantha nods to Melantha. <<I should be, yes. Goodnight.>>
Samantha says, "It's close on to ten miles from here if you go straight up the path."
Melantha smiles and nods as she gets up from her chair. <<Ok, good night.>> She smiles to the stranger and then offers Stuffit another snack and a scritch before heading into the tree.
Simtra says, " Ten miles ya say. . . That would be too far for me to walk tonight. Is there some place around here that I could stay the night?"
Stuffit gratefully excepts the snack and curls up on one corner of the table to snack away. This happens to be right next to Simtra's tea cup.
Simtra bows his head and gently smiles back to Melantha.
Simtra picks up the cup and takes a sip from it before placing it back on the table.
Samantha hmmms. "My house is the only place for a couple of miles in any direction. I like my quiet. But I'm sure we could set something up here. You'd hardly be the first boarder I've had."
Oryn falls asleep.
Simtra says, "That would be most hospitable of you, but I little to offer you in payment. All I have is this ore from Turning Point that I will be trading in Haven."
Samantha smiles. "The ore might be interesting, but we can discuss this once we've both had a little more rest, I think. You can help me get out the cot."
As Simtra move to follow Samantha to help her with the cot he notices a figurine in the window. "That is a nice looking figurine. I have not seen anything quite like it."
Samantha looks over to see what he's looking at. "Ah, yes. I purchased that recently at a vendor in Haven."
Simtra keeps looking at the figurine, "It is lovely. Can I take a closer look at it?"
Samantha hmms, nodding. "I don't see why not."
Simtra moves closer to the figurine and picks it up through the window and looks at it, "Ah, thank you."
Samantha spreads the cot out, unfolding the extra set of blankets.
The carving on it is very well done. And it's a high quality piece of turquoise too. The mustelid family carved into it is pretty detailed, though the eyes look different. On close examination, they seem to be made out of flat blue crystalline pieces that have been glued in place. They actually add a nice touch to the figurine.
Simtra puts the figurine back where he found it after looking at it for a while and then moves to where Samantha is setting up the cot.
Samantha finishes patting everything down. "There. What do you think?"
Simtra says, "I must thank you, it has been a while since I have had a warm place to sleep at night."
Samantha brushes her hands off. "You're most welcome."
Simtra sits down on the cot and prepares for a night of sleep.
Samantha gathers up the tea service. "Goodnight. I hope my daughters won't bother you too early in the morning."
Stuffit scrambles up to the ledge and checks out the figurine for a moment.
Simtra chuckles, "I am sure they will be bother me that much. G'night miss"
Samantha nods to Simtra.
Samantha, without even looking at Stuffit, says "If I find that figurine missing, you little furry thief, I will personally hunt you down and turn you inside out."
Stuffit hmmfs and tries to look innocent. He waves and with a *poit* is gone.
Samantha sighs, shaking her head. "I have got to talk to Delachiel about her choices of friends."
Samantha walks back into the tree, heading up to her own bed.
Simtra first moves his pack closer to his cot and then curls up in the cot for the night.