Aikuen and William Go South: Part Two
Location: South Path, Winter Haven
Characters: Orph, Aikuen, NPC bartender, NPC musician.
South Path
The road seems to be becoming less and less well-trodden. It seems rougher
and rockier underpaw. The forest appears to loom up on either side, dense
and oppressive.
Aikuen keeps a jauntily pace down the south path. They had awoke last night to the sound of drums, and he wants to stay on the move since they heard them close by. He eyes are constantly darting to the left and right, and he continuously hears movement in the trees all around him. He mutters out the side of his mouth to Orph, "This is not good... Be ready to run at a moments notice..."
The ratling nods slightly. He was hungry, not that he'd hadn't been before but this trip wasn't going as nicely as it had in his imagination. He'd lived from paw to mouth before, but he only had to watch out for himself before and didn't have to take orders from anybeast. With any luck they'd find some to eat by tomorrow or the next day - enough to last a few days before they'd next to find more. He'd never been South before ... what grew here that could be eaten? He looked at the trees ... bark maybe? Mushrooms? No probably too dry for mushrooms ... they'd find something. Unless the beasts following found them first, then they wouldn't need to eat.
Laughing, more like wicked chuckling, can be heard from the tree tops, and a few black furred squirrels show themselves from the trees. They all carry daggers and slings, and a few of them are ready to fire rocks.
Orph doesn't like the look of this. They seem to have the advantage. A dagger to matter how big won't help much against a hail of rocks. His first impulse is to run and go to ground.
Aikuen runs south down the road, with Orph in his arm in front of him. His back is getting pelted with rocks as the tribe of squirrels follow him. There is a path that leads off from the main road, quickly making a turn. He heads down that path, trying to lose the squirrels. The path leads to a building, and quickly making a decision, he heads for it.
Winter Haven: Foyer
Aikuen busts through the door and quickly moves to the left as another hail of stones comes crashing down. He quickly places Orph on the floor. And he moves quickly to close the door and uses a the small bolt, to lock the it.
Orph plops down on the floor, "Are you alright, Pa? Where are we?" he looks around the room.
Orph quietly reads the signs on the doors and the rules posted on the wall next the entrance, knowing his pa won't be able to read them himself.
Aikuen Is breathing heavily, as he leans against the door. He takes a quick glance around the room. He looks at Orph, "Well it look like as entrance to an inn if i had to guess." Another hail of stones hits the side of the building. He continues to look around, but a smell seems to catch him. He smiles, "And a pub, if im not mistaken..." But this is no time for a drink, so he yells to see if anybeast is here, "Hello, the Inn! Anybeast here?!"
Orph points at the door on the left marked 'Tavern', "Think they're in there.”
Aikuen gives a nod, and heads over to the door. He slowly open it, and the light from within shows several bruises that he had received from the rocks. He enters the 'Tavern'.
Orph follow Akiuen through the door taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the pub. He wanders over to nearby chair to sit and watch the other beasts.
Aikuen goes over the the bar, and acting as though he was just not attacked by squirrels, ask the bartender for a drink. "Get me anything that's rum..." He looks off from the bar, and watches the other beasts. Some are at tables, some are dancing to the music that's playing. Everything seems very quiet for a tavern, but it is the middle of the afternoon. The bartender taps him on the shoulder, "We got no rum here...". Is taken aback from this but he says, "Fine, anything sweet then..." The bartender pulls a bottle from the wall and places it and a glass in front of the otter.
Orph watches the otter. Same there's not a pond round here, he'll likely need one fore morning. The dibbun casually walks up to the bar, "Ya serve vittles ere o jus drink? Could go fer some skilly n duff if ya got it o most anythin'." he gestures to Aikuen, "'ee's payin."
The bartender talks to somebeast through the door behind him, it no doubt leads to the kitchen, before turning back to face the beasts at the bar, "It be a few minutes, lad."
The Bartender looks at the otter and just shrugs, "Aye you mean the Yukka Squirrels, There no real bother to us... They hit the building a few times, before giving up and going home." He sticks out his paw, wanting to be paid. "The Skill n' Duff ill be 3 and the bottle of cordial will be 2... so that comes to 5..."
Orph's order had arrived by now and he goes at it like a hare.
Aikuen pours the contents of the satchel, onto the table. About 20 bronze coins fall every where, collecting them hurriedly, he counts them one by one. "One...Two..." When he gets to five he places them in the bartenders paws. Putting the rest back in his satchel. The bartender looks at the strange coins, this is not the usual currency... But they are bronze, and they are real, so what can he do. The otter pours himself another drink, and turns to Orph, "So matey, interesting trip so far... I mean hasn't even been one day, and were attacked by a tribe of squirrels!"
Orph nods. "How much trouble would it be fer ya to fill our canteens up with wine[1] fore we head out again?" he asks the bartender, knowing wine will keep better than water and not knowing how long they will be traveling or when they'll see a fresh stream or river.
The bartender looks at the canteens, then said, "For all three...and just the regular stuff..." He makes a quick estimate, "Lets say 6..."
Orph says, "Alright," he takes his canteen off his belt and passes it to the bartender nodding to Aikuen, "he'll pay."
The bartender takes Orph’s canteen and goes to over to one of barrels, dumping the water out, and filling it with wine. Upon returning to them, he takes a bottle form the rack and places it, none to friendly, in front of the otter. He takes the coins and places them in his pocket before going back to his other customers.
Aikuen takes the bottle and after uncorking, sniffs the inside. Nodding in approval, he takes out his canteen, and quickly drinks all the water inside. Then he pours the wine from the bottle into it. He recorks the canteen, and there is about 1/4 left in the bottle. He shrugs and places it back on the bar. He is going to leave the other one with water for now...
Orph, who has been sipping from Aikuen's cordial, calls over to the bartender, "Thank you, sir," turning back to his father he inquires, "We stayin’ ere or out there." he nods toward the door they came in from.
The bartender looks at them both before answering, "A room, single, will be 7. And a double will be 9...". Aikuen Nods, he expected it to be expensive... He pulls out a single coin from the pouch and hands it to the bartender, "Here is a Silver coin, I think that should cover the cost for a single..." The bartender takes it from the otter and immediately admires it, he has only seen a handful of silver coins. After a bit of eye goggling, he hands a key to the otter. Then saying without keeping his eye off the coin, "room, down the stairs, second on your left..."
Aikuen nods and places the key in his pocket. Then turning back to his glass, which is suddenly empty. He eyes Orph, and asks "My drink is gone... Must be a Cordial ghost around here..." He turns his attention to the rest of the beasts in the room. Its not even close to night time, but they have been running a good part of the night. He watches the musician in the corner.
Orph shrugs, "I was thirsty." The ratling still hooded turns away from the bar to watch the tavern's other customers.
Aikuen continues to watches as the musician, who is a shrew by the look of it, finishes his song. Taking a bow, He asks the audience in his soprano voice, "Do ve have any requvests?". The otter suddenly yells to the shrew, "Do ye know 'Journey's End'!". The shrew smiles and nods, as he begins to strum a few chords on his lute like instrument. He begins to sing, "Marching home! Marching home!..." The beat is fast and lively.
The shrew finishes the song, and bows to the crowd. After that he says, "I’ll be back after a few drinks..." He goes and sits down at the other end of the bar. Aikuen has almost completely finished the bottle, as he leans on the bar mumbling to himself.
Orph, with food and drink now in him, finds himself nodding off amid the singing , drinking and general goings ons of the pub. At first he tries to fight it, but in the end sleep wins out over wonder and curiosity. The dibbun's hooded face tips down to rest against his chest no longer aware of the things going on around him.
Aikuen polishes off the bottle, and he thinks aloud, "This is...not bad... for 2 ... bronzzzzze." He looks over at Orph, "Oi William, the stuff. iss gone!" He places the bottle on the table, And stands up. After a bit of Wobbling, he asks the bartender, "Hey... I forgot where my room is... Do yah mind?..." He lifts his arm, like someone is carrying him. The bartender sighs, he has seem this before. He comes from around the bar, and helps to support the drunk otter, "Alright sir, just ...uff, follow me" Aikuen becomes alarmed at the movement. He goes back to his chair, and picks up Orph, Then going back to the bartender, he says, "Alrighty! Almost forgot me son!... Mush!" He points off into a direction with his other paw. The bartender leads them to their rooms and leaves them on the bed, Where the otter goes immediately to sleep.
[1] Back in the Middle Ages/Dark Ages/Ect. everyone and their dog drank wine and only those who over did it were looked down on for it. More importantly most travelers carried wineskins because their water would become stagnant and would make them sick, where as wine didn't.
