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Realms: Idlewild Logs

January 30

Sunday, January 30, 2005

With the arrival of the "hoors" distracting the large clot of greenish uglies in the next room, the little knot of elves and elven accessories escapes through their attic hatchway unscathed. The gems were not rescued, but the children were, and even the local Thieves' Guild contact put those lives at the highest priority-- perhaps from personal feelings, as surely that's not the better business decision. Dessis, the last child to be rescued, looks the least childlike of all of the lot. After downing at least four tankards of beer, each the size of her head, she smells like a brewery but walks, runs and climbs with remarkable steadiness. As Aiden, Steven and Seodil emerge onto the roof with her, she sighs almost too softly to hear.

Clairchiare and Sol are apparently making patterns with their children, still facing off in two groups-- one with hands shaped into mouse ears, the other with makeshift rope mouse-tails hanging out of their waistbands. The kids seem to be in good spirits, and clearly put a lot of faith in their rescuers as they smile hopefully at the men emerging from the trapdoor. Clairchiare reaches out to touch each of the three arrivals quickly, a light touch of approval on the shoulder, and then shepherds them all back across the rooftops to their nice, safe, clean adoptive whorehouse. The journey is nervewracking and the children require a great deal of help getting across some of the gaps, but the team handles it well and all in all it goes without incident. The lot of them pack into the staging-room for their earlier departure, and when Kabi arrives her round, merry little face goes teary and slack.

Aiden immediately sets about finding some sort of wash cloth to wipe down hands and faces. It's amazing what a little clean can do for your spirits and he figures that the kids are probably the same.

This room, like all the others, has a bathroom attached. It's actually bigger than the room itself, full of a wide pool and piled with white, white towels. Several kinds of scented soap are easily trackable-- oatmeal vanilla, apple cinnamon and lavender lemon.

Aiden doesn't bother with anything beyond a couple of clean washcloths. He just wants to get the kids cleaned up a little bit. He also grabs a handtowel for drying their hands and faces off and heads back into the other room to do just that.

Steven isn't quite sure what to do to help make the children at ease. This isn't exactly the sort of place he'd imagine children being in, for starters. Then he decides to just remain feline for a bit. After all, they're supposed to be the 'beast queen's' retinue anyway. Besides, they seem to like him like this.

Sol shoots Aiden a grateful look as his partner starts the search, apparently picking up on the desire. The golden elf goes back to amusing the children, half of which are clinging to his legs or demanding arbitration over various mouseries with Clairchiare's group. When Aiden returns to the room, some of them swarm him and attach in similar fashion. Steven has his share, too. Two are trying to ride the large cat, which luckily is large enough to take this sort of abuse without too much wincing necessary.

Soleil is unable to remove enough children from his limbs to assist Aiden, but Dessis and Kabi-- who are very nearly of the same height-- break off their quiet, intense talk to come offer Aiden their aid. Seodil, largely unmolested except for a little hair-pulling, ferries in more wet washcloths for them.

Aiden makes a point of talking to the kids while he's wiping their hands and faces off. Just small talk.. what their names are, how old they are and that sort of thing. He really sort of likes being surrounded by a pack of kids and sits down, crosslegged, to clean them up.

The pack of children ranges from one five-year-old to a few at seven and nine, one very elven boy that looks and acts nine but is twenty, and Dessis-- who turns out to be fourteen despite a complete lack of breasts or height. Kabi orders someone around at the door, and in short order clean clothes are brought. The bringers, all pretty girls in comfortable clothes, set about making the children like them as well. Slowly, Aiden loses Rithich, Uili, Ooltassy and Fleet to the girls... which seems to be Kabi's design. She circulates, making quiet requests of all the rescuers to please come out into the hall.

Aiden's sort of sad to lose his pack, but he stands up and goes out into the hallway at Kabi's request.

Steven has some trouble extracting himself from the children, but does manage to squirm out of the room when they're distracted.

Kabi has Dessis by her side when Steven and Aiden both arrive. They are joined shortly by the rest, and led into the warm red room they've made plans in before. Sol sprawls on the floor, leaning against the sofa, while Seodil and Clairchiare take more decorous seats on it. It's not Kabi who speaks first after all, but Dessis. The dark brown girl, so dark she's nearly black, has acquired both a shirt and new clean pants. She looks no older in them, but her expression is dead serious and her tone unslurred as she says "Guildmaster tells me you're our help looking for the challenger... well. I seen him. Green-haired elven bastard, curly and not so tall. It's him who made the money change hands, sure enough. We been sold, we was under guard waitin'."

Aiden's eyes narrow. Rathskeliad. "Waiting, Dessis?"

Steven frowns, at least as much as a feline can frown. "Waiting for what?" he asks. It comes out, "Merrourrrt?"

Kabi nudges Dessis with a toe. "Diction. Grammar." Dessis makes a brief, surprisingly affectionate face, and then resumes, "Waiting for our buyer. Greenie was there to pay, but someone else bought us. All they said was 'Herself,' though, sorry. It sounded like a title, but it's piss-po-- not very helpful." She looks wistful. "If it hadn't been for the hookers and the others, I might have been able to stay long enough to find out... er. Not that I'm not grateful, truly. I'd likely have died before I could get back, even if I did see her, without you."

Sol grins at Steven. "Sometimes we forget to change clothes, my friend." He stretches to ruffle Steven's fur pleasantly, and winks.

Aiden nods at Dessis. "So, the one with the green hair had purchased you for Herself?"

Dessis nods back at Aiden. "Far's I can tell. I overheard just a little more; that they didn't want any bleeders, and that humans got the best price."

Aiden nods, "Thank you, Dessis."

Thinking, Dessis adds "There was another name-- Haasha. Greenie said She wanted to give him food for the tree in exchange for the rose. It didn't sound like the deal was set, more like a bribe. Or courting. Greenie was worried about Herself talking to Haasha."

Steven shifts back to human form, looking sheepish. "Bleeders?" Then he freezes cold. "Oh, Pelor... Haasha..."

Aiden looks at Steven as he shifts. "Damnit. We should've known he wouldn't be far behind."

The slight dark girl nods, and sits down next to Kabi. The sandy-haired thief is fidgeting, unable to sit still, and finally gives up to stand and pace, barefoot and fuzzy-toed. She startles at Steven's shift, then looks him straight in the eye. "You know of him?" Her gaze sharpens, on Aiden. "You KNOW him? Talk."

Aiden says, "We're not friends of his. We've met him, though, and he has it in for us." He doesn't volunteer more than that.

Kabi's face darkens. "Any idea why he might ally with someone trying to take over my Guild?"

Aiden shakes his head, "Power, maybe. Easy access to things he needs.. It could be anything. I don't know him well enough to judge."

Steven shakes his head. "I'm afraid I don't know either, really. Did you hear anything else about what they were saying??"

Kabi paces, "No? Or what he might want human children for? Or... mm. Clairchiare's calling card has been roses." She fixes a sharp look at the formerly pink elf, who spreads his hands and says "I have a rosebush, at home, but no one would want it. It would die if you moved it." He shrugs.

Aiden says, "He wants human children because they can touch iron."

"Not really, Steven," Dessis sighs. "Just something about the kittens all dying, and more muttering about blood. I don't think Greenie's quite stable."

Steven frowns, nodding to Aiden as he remembers that little tidbit of information about cold iron. He tries not to let his frown deepen when he hears about the kittens.

Aiden looks at Dessis, "He's as crazy as a fox. He's stable."

Kabi looks up sharply at Aiden. "That's only useful if you want to kill elves, mostly. And it would... oh, sweet shadow, it would take an army." She looks at Aiden, measuring his reaction. "Are we talking about an invasion of the Court, Aiden?"

Aiden shrugs at Kabi. "I don't know. He wouldn't discuss his plans with us. We refused to lead his army."

Sol sighs, sad. "I wonder if that one kitten with Frangi survived the rest, then. Probably not, if something's happened to their tree... poor little cat-apple."

Kabi's eyebrows arch high, and she looks much more alert. "So there IS an army." The pacing gets faster. "I do believe we're about to have a war, my friends." It's very matter-of-fact. "Shall we stay allied, and live through it?"

Aiden says, "I don't know if the army is standing or not. He may be building it still."

Steven nods quietly. "But he anticipates it will exist."

Kabi says, "Either way, it does not bode well for my city. You make a good strike force. Will you consider staying? It seems to threaten your friends as well." She glances at Clairchiare, who looks shocked but surprisingly flushed, pinker than his usual pallor. The little thief adds, "I can offer you honorary Guild status, money, protection for any dependants you may have lurking... it may be safer here than the Courts, soon."

Steven frowns, glancing at the others. "How do you mean, safer than the courts?"

Aiden is curious about that answer himself.

Kabi shrugs. "For one thing, if I wanted to kill elves that's where I'd go. There aren't many out here, not to stay. We're mostly the rabble that isn't welcome to inhabit the Courts proper, even if they want us close enough for fun."

She finishes, "So, this is a better place to hide your elves. The Courts might not have warning when your army strikes. Now, I don't know what sort of places they have to hide or fight from in there, I've never been.. but still, being away from the center of fighting seems safer, no?"

Aiden nods. "Safer, yes. Most appropriate... probably not." He's thinking of the tower and hitting Haasha at his heart. He doesn't like the idea of hiding from what may be coming.

Steven nods, thinking, Sarete... I really hope it doesn't come to killing in the courts since... wait...

Steven says, "Haven't all the elves been... sort of hiding out in the COurts? Because of what's been going on in the streets with Clair's private war?"

Clairchiare sighs. "I wouldn't know. I can't go home... and it's not my war. It's just me killing people for Kabi while I look for Oni-- while I look for Rathskeliad. The Courts are different, they want to make me a new stud prince." He sounds quite, quite bitter.

Steven ohs, and nods quietly. He hadn't really gotten that part of Clair's arrangement with Kabi.

Aiden looks at Clairchiare. "Don't let them. There's no need to go back there."

Seodil speaks up, softly. "From what Ilirith says, Steven, it sounds to me as if the Courts are fighting amongst themselves, but not the bloody kind... and they are too proud to hide well, Steven, or believe a real threat."

Steven nods quietly to Seodil and sighs quietly.

When Aiden looks at Clairchiare, it takes him a moment to pinpoint what's different... and then it hits with alarming clarity. Clairchiare is pink again, hair and flushed cheeks and less bone-pale skin. His eyes have darkened, too, almost to gold again.

Oblivious, Clairchiare says quietly "I won't, Aiden. Not again."

Aiden startles, "Jesus Murphy..." He's looking right at Clairchiare when he says it, eyes wide.

Steven blinks, looking at Aiden. "What..?"

Aiden says, "Clairchiare? You're.. pink again."

Everyone in the room looks first at Aiden, then at the object of his gaze. A murmur builds, uneasy.

Clairchiare frowns. "What?" He looks at his hands, rather uselessly, and then pulls a strand of hair into view with an irritable mutter... before letting go in shock, golden eyes widening.

Ilirith pokes her head into the conference room. "Hello. What have I missed? Had to go back and tend your pl-- things."

Steven finally notices, and judging by Clair's reaction, he's guessing that he hadn't meant that on purpose.

Both Steven and Aiden notice Ilirith's bandaged left hand immediately.

Steven blinks, as well. "Uh..." He looks between Clair and Illlirith. "what happened to your hand?"

Aiden says, "Welcome back Ilirith. Are you alright?"

"Fine," Ilirith says with a rueful snort. "Clairchi, your thorns are feeling vicious. I swear the damn thing grabbed me... bled like a-- CHI! Your hair!" The daffodil-haired gardener-mage stops still, staring at the pink.

Aiden's eyebrows shoot up. Looks like Clairchiare's rosebush was thirsty. He ducks his head and grins to himself.

Steven blinks. "I'd say somethign here is connected...." It's a rather macabre way to explain why Clair's hair is suddenly... red. Something clicks. "Blood.... What was that about feeding the tree? Something Greenie said?"

Aiden looks at Steven and nods. "I think that's what the kids were for."

Apparently making the same connections, Clairchiare murmurs, "Blood... oh, bright sky. Who was feeding it before?"

Ilirith cocks her head and says decisively, "Not me. I've watered it for years, since you were born and your mother came to me for a garden spot, shrimp. It's never done that before."

Aiden looks at Clairchiare and says, quietly, "Either Rathskeliad or Linden. Maybe both."

Sol looks horrified, nodding to Aiden. "The children couldn't be bleeders... gaaah."

Steven binks, looking at Aiden.

Seodil smiles, not nicely. "Of course. That would use them up too quickly." His teeth are showing, white and sharp, before he looks at Aiden and nods, slowly.

Clairchiare stares at the floor. "My best friend." He smiles. It looks nothing like Seodil's smile... it's sad, a pitiful little thing.

Seodil looks thoughtful. "What happens if no one feeds the tree? Has it already borne fruit?"

Aiden walks over to touch Clairchiare's shoulder. He doesn't say anything.

Looking numbly at the floor, Clairchiare doesn't move.

Steven is quiet, biting his lip. There's nothing he can really say at the moment. His mind, however, races. Is it only when his rosebush has been fed that his color returns? Is the rosebush.. well, aggressive when it needs watering? Someone mentioned Haasha's kitten-bush had died, as well...is there a relation to this somehow?

Sol is the one to sigh. "Poor Frangipani. We'd better bury that kitten before she wakes... kinder that way."

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Last modified: 2001-Jun-12 14:20:21

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