Home Is Safe ... Except When It's Not

Locatons: Tir Arnon, Steal Talon Tavern, Great South Stream, Dirt Road, Ruins, Moledeep, Old Moledeep

Characters: William, Aikuen, NPC Bartender and NPC Barkeep

Tir Arnon: Steal Talon Tavern

Aikuen is sitting at the bar. There is no bottle in front of him, but there is a bowl of soup. He stares off into space as he slowly eats it. He couldn't sleep last night, though he did try...But just couldn't, too many things floating in his mind... Like of friends long forgotten. He shakes the memories from his mind, and continues to slurp his soup.

Orph sits at a table with an empty bowl in front of him and his head down on the table trying to wish away the lingering pangs of last night's ale. Hadn't he sworn off drinking already? Well, ok he had sworn anything, but the last time his head had hurt from drink he and Zen had /agreed/ that drinking was a /bad/ idea /no exceptions/. Eh, Zen probably never drank before the ratling nodded to himself as if that solved everything.

Aikuen drains the last of his soup, and stands up. He places a few bronze coins next to the sleeping Bartender, who had fallen asleep standing up. He make to go out the door, but stops where William is sitting, "Come on matey, they said we could make the bridge pretty soon if we hustle..." His voice is not its cheery self, and its quite low for him.

Orph puts his chair back and stands up pausing before leaving his bowl where it is and pushing the chair back in before following his father out of the tavern

Orph hangs his now empty canteen back on his belt before re-buckling it round his waist. Pulling his pack on over his head he puts an arm through and looks over his possessions to make sure everything is as he left it.

Aikuen nods at William, "All set?" He reattaches his sheath to the back of his belt. Its was the only thing he took off before entering the tavern

Orph nods. All his things are accounted for. "I'm ready."

Aikuen nods again, and heads off out of the Steal Talon. William follows the otter out.

Mossflower Woods: Ruins

After leaving Tir Arnon the two follow a westward path though the woods. It is cool in the woods where the trees press close together. Sunlight streams down in places where the canopy is less dense. Soon the pair are out of the wood, before them lies a familiar ruin and past that the dirt road running ever North to South.

Aikuen continues to follow William. Besides the fact that he would completely lost if he didn't have a guide, but his mind is on other things. They begin to cross the Ruins, when he stubs his toe on a fallen brick. Cursing aloud, he gets a little angry and picks up the brick and chuck its at the charred ruins. Seeing the burnt remains, throw memories into the old otters head. He falls to his knees, and just stares at the ruins

The rat is thrilled to see familiar places and so soon. He'd thought they'd still be walking for a lest a day before they'd get this far. Hearing his Pa's outburst he stops and turns around confused. Laying his ears back he cocks his head at the otter, shouldn't he be glad that they're close to home? "What's th' matter, Pa? We're almost home. See," he points at the road a short ways away, "there's the road over there. And I've seen these ruins before so I know where close to home. This is where I found Zen after ..... before. And home's not very far from here. I know the way to get there real quick too. .... are you ok?" the dibbun kneels beside the otter confused and a bit worried.

Aikuen doesn't say anything, and closes his eyes. A scene of total chaos floats through his mind. A ragging fire... Screaming beasts... Homes inflamed... After a bit, he stands up. Looking toward where they were heading, "I'm fine William, just... Just... Nothing..." He breathes deeply and looks away from the ruins.

The ratling chews his lower lip before standing and brushing his tunic off, "We should keep on walking. We'll reach the Dirt Road soon." He's not quite sure why but his father doesn't like the ruins for some reason. Maybe he was there when it wasn't ruins ... no he couldn't be /that/ old, maybe it reminded him of someplace that was ruins now that wasn't before that he liked ... maybe it was like the bad tunnel .. yes that was probably it. The dibbun noded to himself satisfied with this answer and continued on toward the dirt road.

Aikuen breathes deeply again, "...Aye... road...". He follows William toward the Dirt Road. He tries to block the images, but cant...

Orph follows the dirt road north for a while then ducks into the woods. Aikuen has little choice but to follow.

Moledeep

Soon they walk into the clearing that encompasses Moledeep. "We're back," the dibbun shouts happily.

Aikuen steps into the clearing. He recognizes this place, but he continues to follow William, just in case something happens and gets lost. After a bit, he heads over to the entrance and plops down just to the side of it. Sighing, he rubs his paws into his tired face, "Aye... That we are little matey... so... you want some vittles?" He looks up and his eyes are visible, there are dry and deep red, But he smiles anyway.

Orph plops down into the wildflowers and closes his eyes very glad to be home again. He just lays there a while before answering Aikuen, "Not right now, side not much to eat here ... there will be later on I guess. When we get hungry we can visit the Abbey, bet they'll be glad to see us." He sits up, "You alright, Pa? maybe we can do something round here ... I can show you more stuff round here. I don't think you've seen everything yet, have you? There's a smithy around here and other stuff. Want t' look round with me?"

Aikuen gets up and dusts dirt from his pants, "Aye, lets go... I wonder if the smithy has any... nah... Lead the way, Oh son of mine!" He laughs a bit, and feels better.

Orph stands up smiling, "Alright. I'll show you the smithy first an then ... I don't know. What you want t' see after that?" he starts off toward the worn path.

Moledeep: Telchar's Smithy Stall

Orph sits down on the bench, "I told Corbyn he could have whatever scrap metal he wanted from here. That was before when it was just me here. You don't mind that he's usin it some do ya?

Aikuen is like a young kit again when he enters the Smithy. Not so much for the smithy itself, but for the stuff that's in progress. He goes over the table, and picks up a half beaten breastplate. Rubbing the metal to reveal the sheen, he holds it up admiring it, "Oi, What a thing of beauty! Whoever was making this knew what they were doing..." He places it back on the table. There are what look like shoulder armor, and one arm plate. Other than that, there is no other weapons or armor, just tools and other metal works. He goes over to sit next to William, "Don't know how to work these things, so i say let him go right ahead! In fact do you know if he is any good at armoring? When they threw me off the island, they took my armor..." He is still acting like a kit because he swings his footpaws back and forth

Orph shrugs, "Don't know imagine somebeast at the abbey knows somethin about this kinda thing, though I hear they think more of plows then swords /most/ times ... not always or th' Abbey won't still be standing, just most times. Have t' ask Corbyn wot he uses the scrap metal for I don't 'member if I asked or not or if he told me. What ya want see next?"

The smithy, while interesting, isn't really a place the ratling spends much time at.

Orph grins, kilns forgotten at the moment, "Alright ... you lead. I'll make sure you don't get too lost, but you need t' learn where everthin' is so you lead and I'll help if you get too lost." The rat walks down the path back to the main grounds.

Berke's Shed

Several buckets with holes rotted through them lay scattered about and there are faded paw tracks of a two rodents all around the area. a set of small tracks and a set of larger ones. A gardening trowel covered in dried clay lays across the top on one of the buckets.

Aikuen Sees the shed in the distance, walking up to it he peers inside. Dusty and dirty farm equipment line the walls. He frowns and groans... "I hate farming... I really do..." But he cant help but name the tools off in his head. He sees the pruning sheers and takes them off the wall. He laughs as he looks around the area, "Does anybeast mind if I take this for awhile!" He cups a paw around his ear, "No... Well okay then!" He pockets them carefully. and gets out of the shed. He smiles at William, "lets see if I can't do some damage around here!" He jokes, because of the lack of attention the garden has, what can he do! He heads off toward the rose Garden, when he sees the pawprints. His tracking senses taking over him, he kneels down and examines them. "Two of them... seem be everywhere..." he rubs the dirt in between his claws, "Was here quite awhile ago... in fact before I even got here the first time, it seems..." He mumbles some more.

Orph watches his Pa amused and a little embarrassed that he'd forgotten to put the buckets away after his clay hunting trip with Benar. ... how long ago was that ... too long he guessed. Soon he'd need to drag er ask his friends to come visit again.

Orph starts to slowing stack the buckets back up in a somewhat ordered way not that there of much use which hole in them. While doing so he slips his trowel into his pack.

Aikuen rubs each paw print with his claw, "lets see, this is a Squirrel by the look of it, slightly tall, medium build... then this other one, rat... a young one most likely... Wait..." He looks at William, "Let me guess, these are yours..."

Orph laughs, "Me an Benar from when he visited and we went looking for clay down by the river moss. I fished stacking the unworthy buckets. Took us forever to find some without holes, and now there over at the Abbey, except for that one I used a while back to get water with. Most the buckets aren't any good ... I guess we could burn em if we wanted to, don't know what else to do with em. Don't think we're likely to get robbed here, nothin worth stealin except for what we got on us and any beast would be a fool'd to try and take a blade off somebeast who's wearin it sleepin or not, side most beast can't fit into where I sleep anyhow."

Aikuen stands up from the pawprints, "Alright still got my sense of beasts, that's good." He walks over to a stack of the rotted buckets. He gingerly kicks one, and his footpaw goes right through it. Removing it from the rotted bucket, he shakes off the rotted wood, "Blech, think these buckets have seen the end of there days... but the casting still looks good, well burn the buckets and save them. Well do that later..." He stumbles on a bucket, and comes crashing down to the ground. He Spits grass from his mouth, "Paatoo! Ech..."

It happens so fast William can only stare wide-eyed at the otter as he falls, "Alright ya alright, Pa?" he asks a little startled, "Ya need help?"

Aikuen gets up, still spitting grass and dirt from his mouth. "Just what i needed a salad, with a side of mud..." He is sporting a new bloody nose. He doesn't notice it and just dusts dirt and mud from himself.

Orph grimaces remembering how he'd gotten that scar across his own nose. Very different situation, but it likely hurt near the same. "You alright? You're bleedin some," he touches his own nose to show where, "might want t' clean it up a bit fore workin in th' gardens." the ratling believing his father is be fine, aside from a bloodied nose, he leaves the shed.

Mossflower Woods: Circle of Oaks

Why does he force himself to go in there? Why? The foul air chokes him, but he goes. He hates the place yet he goes. He strokes the tapestries and wonders what death lurks there under the ground what had done this to them? Who where they but brothers and sisters of his Ma's kind. Yet he was drawn to the place and he questions it raised. Having torn a piece from the ancient tapestry he emerged after what seemed like forever and far too long. The fresh air felt so good after being in that bad place. He shouldn’t go in there. He hugs the moldy rag with it's worn picture of moles and trees and a river. He hugs it again unsure why he tore it. He feels mixed up inside.

Moledeep: Dibbun's Garden

He walks back to his home and lays down in the smaller garden to recover and think things over.

As he lays there he falls asleep and dreams of the dead ones he’d seen … surly they’d been living beasts once long ago. What had killed them … He clutches the piece of tapestry in one paw as his memories and dreams interweave themselves into all kinds of strange and frightening shapes. He should have stayed out of there .. It was a very bad place, but he’d wanted to see the pictures again…

Aikuen walks toward little William, still clutching his nose. He avoids the random holes, and steps over the rotted plants, as he makes his way toward him. He sees that he is dosing, so he quietly sits to the nearest tree. He stares at his little son for a bit, then he notices that he is clutching something ...a strip of cloth? Perhaps a hanky? He just stares at it trying to get a look, but no luck.

The dibbun tosses in his sleep, his face scrunched up in distress. He's breathing hard as he tosses his head from side to side. He murmurers loudly in his sleep, but what ever he's saying is too jumbled up to make out.

The rat hears a voice somewhere calling him. He's in the bad tunnel, parts are caved in. Moles are crushed under mountains of earth other lay around groaning. The dibbun doesn't know why they are but he's fill with dread that whatever's killing them ... no what killed them may come after him next. "They're dead already!" he mummers aloud, "... isn't real ... isn't real ... shouldn't a gone in ... shoulda left it ..." darkness covers everything for once he finds himself groping in the dark lost in his own element, it's here ... he can see the bones the same as when he was just there and the torn tapestries ... the one he'd been looking at the one he'd torn ... the thing as black like darkness and he couldn't see though it. He murmured to himself, "... not real ... not real..." the thing grabbed him! "Ahyayayayah!" William screamed and his eyes flew open, as Aikuen grabbed his shoulders, it took a while for the dibbun to realize where he was and who had actually grabbed him before he stopped struggling. He never thought to grab his dagger, since he hadn't had it with him in his dream."

Aikuen looks extremely worried, "What's a matter William? You were thrashing, mumbling and groaning. I almost cuffed you to try to wake you up. Was it a dream... or just..." He keeps hold of his shoulders.

Orph is shaking and breathing hard, "I-it wasn't real ..." he hugs Aikuen tightly, "It didn't get me. Pa, you didn't let it get me did you. ... shouldn't go in there ... shouldn't go in bad places ..." he murmurers to himself burring his face in the otter's fur.

Aikuen hugs the little rat lightly. He shakes his head, "No, Course i wont let it..." Whoever it may be, "Get you...Ill always protect you..." He slowly rocks back and forth, "What place... i mean the place you shouldn't go to... what is it? or where is it?" He ask trying to figure out what could cause such cacophony

The dibbun clings to his father a while longer before answering, "... i-it's a bad tunnel. I don't like it. Some bad happen there. I don't know what. I've been in there before, but I don't like it. There's some tapestries like the one at the Abbey in there but they don't have Martin on them they have different pictures. I just wanted to look at them again and I was gonna bring on out of that bad tunnel they beasts there don't mind ... maybe they do, but there dead and never did nothing about me before ..." he chews his lip, "I don't know if they did something this time or not ... I couldn't get all the tapestry I pulled on it and it tore more and I kind tripped and then there was this piece in my paw and I liked it I guess and then I came out and that was good it's better not in there. Maybe I should put the piece I took back ... I can show you where it is if you want and we can go in ... if I put it back .... they never did anything before ..." he crawls off the otter and picks up the rag, "follow me."

Aikuen gets up and, nods sternly to William, "Aye lead me to the place..." He has never been superstitious, and believing in ghosts is just foolhardy to him. He thinks that the thing that attacked William, was probably just his imagination. But he wants to see the place of the dead, and he needs William to be his guide.

Orph points toward the woods and starts walking.

Outside the main clearing and it's grove Orph points at the nearby circle of oaks, "Over there."

Aikuen nods and heads off to investigate.

"This it." he holds the rag in on paw, "This came from inside."

Aikuen looks around and comes across a odd opening and decides to explore where it leads...

Orph quickly lays the torn off part of the tapestry by it's parent. "Ok, it's back we can leave now. All that's here is the tapestries dead moles' bones and bad air ... we can go now r-right, Pa." the rat asks looking about as if expecting somebeast to jump out at any minute.

Aikuen takes one of the torches off the wall. Lighting it with his flint and steel, he holds it aloft. He see how this room was once the center of major activity, but due to the obvious collapsing of the tunnel, its is no longer in use. He walks around the room, placing his paw on objects as he goes. He just looks at William, "Just a minute... i need to do something..." he goes over to the skeletal remains of whoever it was. He kneels down and places a paw on his his heart, and another on the bones. He mumbles something, then nods. He stands up and begins to walk out of the place, "Alright... lets go...

Orph hopes that whatever his Pa said whatever killed these beasts understood it and listened.

Orph passes the clearing leading to Moledeep and instead continues east toward the river.

Orph scrubs himself down in the river wanting to get the feeling of the bad place of himself. After a bath, the Sisters of the Abbey would be pleased with, he dresses again and walks back to Moledeep.

Aikuen is sitting on the edge of the clearing, against a tree. He decided that after that affair, he needed to let William do his own thing at the moment. He hums a few bars of an old marching song, as he fends off few insects

A damp but much happier William returns from the woods. He plops down on the grass near Aikuen, "Want to go visit Zen and everyone at the Abbey?"

Aikuen pops a fly in midair, and it falls to the ground. He smiles, as he wipes the back of his paw against his noes. It stopped bleeding awhile ago, but it itches something fierce. He looks at William, "Sounds like a plan me matey! Soon we wont have to eat at pubs, or eat flys!" He stands up, and places his paws on his hips

Orph nods, "Yep. Another rule of adventuring 'If you're larder isn't full find somebest who's is.' Wonder what Zen an' Benar an' everbody's been up to since we left."