Fireside Chat

Stubb, Adyna, Hactor

Location: Ruingate:

Stubb pads into the lavish hallway, fur damp but mouth bent into a smug expression of self-satisfaction. His gait is easy, unhurried, and his pack is now fairly bulging at its seams from the pressure of its angular contents. With a single claw, he traces an unseen line along the wall and heads toward the private dining hall.

Adyna relaxes when she sees Stubb come in. Her paw drops from the hilt and the jill returns to lounging against the wall. "Y' fine wha' yeir seirchin' fer, methinks?" she asks, pointing a claw at the backpack. "Looks right 'mport, wha' ye go' their."

Stubb taps his nose, tossing the stoat a coy wink. "An more besoides, moi dear. 'Actor were most pleased wif wha' tha li'tle mouse pulled up. Guess we won' be frowin' 'er in tha Broadstream after all." He arrives beside the door to the dining room and pushes it ajar very slightly, peeking inside. "All clear."

"Aww, an' Ah wuz geitin' m'hopes up an' errythin'," Adyna says, with theatrical disappointment. She casts a glance back down the hall and follows Stubb out of the hall, alternately looking around the dining room for late customers and peering at the backpack to try to get a glimpse of what's inside.

Stubb pushes into the dining room and immediately closes his eyes, as if quaffing deeply the scent of wood and esteem that suffuses the heady atmosphere of the exclusive place. "Dis," he says, turning with a wry grin to Adyna, "is moor loike it, eh?" He swings his pack to the ground and settles his tired rump in a chair by the smoldering fire.

Hactor enters the tavern, dressed again as a beggar and looking exausted. The dim light didn't help either, for he bumpes into three chairs as he makes his way to were Stubb is. Once there he collapsed into a chair and practically melted.

"Like a den o' spendthrifts, mair like," Adyna replies. Her paw flies to the rapier again as Hactor enters behind them, and again drops once she recognizes Hactor - and quietly chuckles to herself as he blunders his way to Stubb. "So what's yeir game, Mis'r Stubbs?"

Stubb crackles his knuckles and turns his palms in toward the fire. "Moi game?" the weasel bares the tips of his teeth, head lolling comfortably to the side as it rests against the back of his chair. "Perhaps anuvver toime. Oi fink we'd all be more int'rested in what 'Actor's cookin' up, now dat e's jes' a fox an' notta foxlord." He swivels his head to face his unkempt companion.

Hactor still catching his breath only glares at Stubb, the firelight dancing off his good eye. He finally relaxes and in turn leans back and sayes, "I have no bloddy idea! I'm no use ta this sort of thing. I'm a warrior damnit. I'm not use ta begg'n on the street corner and followin weasles for machines that do who knows what!"

Adyna takes a post against the wall by the fireplace, grinning. "Cu' slack fer 'im, will ye," she says. "'e's onl' good a' bein' big an' daft. 'special for a brushtail."

Stubb slides his interwoven fingers behind his head and looks, shrugging, into the tame fire. Its pilfered light dances in his dark eyes. "Oi fough' maybe he'd have a plan in bein' here is all. No offense meant, ma'e." He looks over to Hactor. "Tha' rat we met when we was at tha Priry... 'E seemed to fink we was after tha king or somefin'." He clicks his teeth. "Wonder whoi..."

Hactor straightens up a bit and sayes, "Well um..If I did have a plan I'de tell it freely to er...those who would be helpfull and trusty." He then quickly added, "But loike I sayed no plan so no need!" The fox goes silent wrapping his cloak about him, and licking his lips nervously.

Adyna's ear perks at the mention. "Th' king, y'say," she murmurs. "Now /their's/ an idea, if'n ye cud pull i' off." She straightens up as Hactor does, and turns to Stubb. "Come t' think of i', Ah've wanted t' ask where ye an' yairn 'ave been since Ah se' eyes on ye last."

"Us? Me an' moine?" Stubb touches a paw to his sternum inquisitively. "We been all over, lootin' and gaverin'," he acquires a faintly dreamy cast. "We was in Ferravale, den we pilfed food from Camp Willow. Almost go' caugh dat toime. Seems a certain bunch a woodlanders had fled the Abbey to settle there." He laughs hoarsely.

Hactor nods and sayes, "Aye. That's because I took the Abbey. You know that Stubby." He then continues bittlerly, "That is untill tha battle that lost me my arm and title." Sighing he slouches in his seet saying, "Then I just wandered look'n for this place. And low and behold I find it. Except I wasn't welcomed by the Soulslashes. Oh no! Just a bunch of smelly rats." He then whent silent, looking very broodingly at the fire.

Adyna shakes her head, listening to Stubb. "Ha. T'think wha' ye've bin off strikin' fear inna breast o' Mossflo'r, an' Ah've bin lain aboo' snuggled up tight t'a bottle. Makes m' fair wanna strike up wi' ye agin. Ah'll ne'er make th' homel'nd a' this fine rate."

Stubb grunts and lets his paw drift down to hang over the side of his armrest, where a single claw begins then to tease idly at the pack on the ground. "Hmm..." He nods absent-mindedly to Hactor, intrigued, but not willing to press the disgruntled fellow for further details of his defeat. "And, er, where did you say your homeland is, li'tle laydy?" His smile is almost charming as he points his muzzle back in Adyna's direction.

Hactor still feeling dejected and broody silently continues to watch the fire. However a battered ear swivells in Adyna's derection, listening.

"Could'nae fine it onna map if'n y'showed me," answers the jill. "Lel' kingdom up nairth. Like a fine auld club fair us stoats onl'. Th' bes' bloody vairmin there is," she adds with an air of pride. "Go' m'silf exiled an' other won'ful things."

Stubb conceals his rolling eyes. "Sounds noice. No' moi koinda place, bein' from tha souf, bu'. Noice." He pulls the bag into his lap and undoes its laces. "As for me, oi've go' one more piece a tha... puzzle." He takes out his most recent acquisition--a curious coil of metal--and strokes it with his gaze. "If Del--er, if moi map is to be believed."

The old foxes grizzly head turnes torward the device, and he looks at it with renewed curiosity. He also manages to catches Stubb's quick change of wording, but decides to not cause a seen. He began stroking his beard asking, "So what's it for Stubb? Better yet. Where is yer Delmap goin ta lead us naext?"

Adyna shakes her head again. "Ye would'nae unnerstan'," she says, quietly. "Nae place like th' fross." With that she falls silent, staring vacantly across the room.

Stubb appears for a spell to share Adyna's reverie, but he snaps out of it as he remembers the object in his hands. "Next? As it 'appens, ma'e, oi'm 'eaded for tha snowy norf. Oi've 'eard tell ova few places where tha kings a yore hid their treasure." He returns the coil of metal to the safety of his pack. "Course, that don' concern me much. It's tha rest a dis lo' wha' cares for loot."

"The snowy north eh?" echoed the fox. "I lived for a spell up there. Shoudl be fun doin a bit of travelin up there." He scrathces his chin thoughtfully before continuing, "Ya know I think I should give fighting and conqouring a rest. I think Stubby I moit join your little band for awhile."

Adyna seems a bit surprised at the coincidence, when Stubb mentions the northlands. "If ye're gain up nairth, Ah'd be well happy t' join ye. 'sbeen many a year sin' Ah been t' those parts." Well, that and finding out just what the weasel is after /this/ time.

Stubb rubs his nose vacantly. "Oi'd be glad to 'ave the comp'ny. Don' fink tha lizard 'll be too pleased abou' that snow, though," he laughs. "Ah, well. Won' be too long up there, oi'm hopin'."

Hactor nods grinning, "Aye. Then again having a huge dragon along has it's advantages." He chuckles a bit to himself, begenning to lighten up a bit.

"Yair.. tekin' a /lizard/ wi' ye?" Adyna stares at Stubb, caught just off-guard enough to be at a loss for words. At least, for a moment. "Tha's pretty blinkin' stupid, tha' is. /Like/ i'? He wilna /survive/ i' up in those climes."

Stubb squints at Adyna. "Fink so? Oi'm sure 'e'd say somefin'." He sniffs. "He's got 'imself wrapped up pre'ty good, coats an tha loike..."

Hactor laughs now and sayes, "He looks more loik an old maid wrapped in all those rags. Less loik a beast that could rip your head clean off!"

Stubb snickers, "Maybe oi'll wai' till i's good an cold ta tell 'im abou' what happened to 'is egg, eh?"

Stubb looks immediately remorseful.

Hactor ears fold down and he pales a bit.

Adyna asks, "Bu' why're ye tekin' a /lezard/?" She ignores, or doesn't catch, the remark about the egg. "They en't known fer bein' th' most 'ardy o' bists.. 'sfar as clime.""

Stubb looks thoughtful, as if this hadn't previously occurred to him. "P'raps you're roigh'. Di'n' fink to ask 'im if 'e'd be up for i'." He pounds a fist on his chair. "But oi can' jes' give it up. No' now."

Hactor jumps a bit at the fist but then regains himself saying, "Well lizard or no lizard, I'm goin. King's treasures seems apropriate at the moment."

Adyna nods approvingly at Stubb's resolve. The promise of gold is always worth it. "Well, wha's yer caper, then?" she asks. "An' why's th' reptile sae import' to't?"

Stubb puts the bag down and rises to approach the fire. "Oi, eh..." He grabs a poker and rearranges the logs on the hearth. "Oi don' suppose 'e is so impor'an', come to fink on it." His tone is doubtful.

Hactor glances to Stubb and gives him a look that sayes,'watch what you say around this one.' He also began to nervously tap the arm of his chair. After all that had happened he had forgoten about the egg!

Adyna says, "Ye still 'adn't answered m' question." As the fox taps on the arm of his chair, she unconsciously starts tapping her foot to the uneven rhythm, and eyes Stubb. "An' Ah en't go' nearly th' free'st lips 'round 'ere.""

Stubb turns to face Adyna, and the firelight splashing over his face deepens the suspicious glow in his narrowed eyes. "Look, moi dear. Oi'll have you along, so long as you don' ask too many questions. Oi bring tha lizard cause... Cause we been frough fick an fin togeva, eh? An moi business is jes' tha'." He turns to give the embers another jab. "Fink oi've said enuff a'ready..."

"Aye!" pipes in Hactor. "Ummm no need to go dabbling in the past. Better to stay in the present. And think on the future." He continues his nervous tapping, and quickly glances over his shoulder.

Adyna stares back at Stubb, her own face seemingly carefree in the flickering light of the fire. "Bleedin' teeth. If'n y' dan' wanna say th' fine details, tha's fair. Ah'm no' one t'go meddlin' in yair bizness - 'least, no' wi' ye knowin' i'. Geld inna dark's good as geld wi' malice o'forethou'."

Stubb replaces the poker and returns to the comfort of his seat. "Oi'm surproised ol' 'Actor ain' go' desoins on da frone a dis Horde. Horde a a Fousan' Oiyes, i's called." The weasel snorts his derision, folding his arms across his chest and peering up at the boards of the ceiling. "Too bad you ain' go' tha' army a yours no more. Comes in usefuw sometoimes ta have one."

Hactor glowers over at Stubb and replies sarcastically, "Really? Ya know I always thought it was just ta look good!" He shakes his head and sighes, "Well not like it matters now. I'm back to square one. Wonderin about, hoping to make it big." He stares at the floor before glancing to Adyna asking, "So your part of Subb's little band now eh?"

Just the hint of a twitch flickers in Adyna's eye before she answers, "Nae flag, nae mas'r. Our paths're simply on th' par'lel f'r noo." She pushes away from the wall and shakes her head. "Nice t' talk t'yae 'gin, Stubb. Ah've to 'ead out noo if'n Ah'm t'fine any shilter innis miz'ry."

Stubb nods curtly. "Jes' so, moi lady." He inclines his head as an ostensible gesture of respect. "For me, fink oi'll curl up roigh' 'ere. Nuffin' loike a good foire an deep cushions."

Hactor nods in agreement and sayes simply, "Very true my friend." Then the old fox wraped himself tighter in his cloak, and began to dose off.