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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sparky" data-source="post: 1912625" data-attributes="member: 13681">Leaving the InnOliver goes up to his room to collect his belongings and finds a drift of downy gray blown up against the door. Winkle? I didn't put him back! He rushes to the curtains, remembering he'd cracked the window to air the room out. He finds Winkle poised on the window-sill, wings flared uncertainly. He warbles at Oliver as the wiry old man pulls the windows shut."Oh Winkle. Has it become this already? Flying the nest?" He glances at the cage, "Can't say I blame you. I had hoped you'd be more tame before it came to this." He gathers up his stuff, dons his newly tended and mended armor. Dire and gleaming he walks out into the hall, making his way quietly to the balcony and calls down to the innkeeper for some help with his pack. Tatlock is still hovering about the inn, wavering between indecision and disappointment, he looks up as Oliver comes to the balcony to shout down, anxious eager eyes wide under his unruly thatch of red hair. Ashes, one fledgling is enough, but two...? The gods hate me. He purses his lips hard and shakes his head. And rightly so."Come on, boy. The others are waiting on me." He breathes a big sigh that turns into a nasty cough. After a lot of coaxing (and equal amounts of cursing) Oliver convinces Winkle to stand on his arm and allow himself to be carried. His wings flutter frequently into Oliver's face. He leaves a goodly tip in his room and another tip for tavern tenders, barkeeper, serving girls. I'm going to miss this place. He smiles tightly, touching his brow to the innkeeper as he trundles silently out to the stables.****************At the stablesThe stableboy, anticipating a tip from the cantankerous old man, rushes off as Oliver approaches, Winkle awkwardly perched on his thin arm.Oliver suffers the looks of the others as he ambles up with Tatlock in tow. He shrugs, ornery defensiveness and flinches away from Winkle's startled flapping.The stableboy brings out Oliver's new horses and a fit and jaunty-looking Bastrop. My very own menagerie. He tosses a fat coin to the stable boy. "Thank you for your hard work, Ander. Saddle up the filly, please, lad - Tatlock will be riding with us as far as Sesphar." He glares at Tatlock, "And no further."At the various looks of puzzlement and glowering from his friends Oliver mutters, "I can't turn away strays." He lowers his head, bullishly, "Hayseed needs to see the world. Who better than the elves to show him some culture?"Oliver glances at Aerda and Astrule as he turns takes Bastrop's lead from the stableboy. He gives the donkey a friend pat before turning to mount his horse. Winkle squawks indignantly as Oliver deposits him on a bale of hay. The old man surprises the stableboy by roughly shaking his cupped and lowered hand before using the boy's hands as a stirrup to mount.Struggling a bit as Winkle settles onto his arm again, Oliver guides the horse over to Shavah with his knees and lowers his voice, "I'll pay you back the coin you gave the boy."He looks up at Raven and snaps, "What?"</blockquote>

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