[LPF] Toad in the Hole

[DalkonCledwin]

Fae'shiel blinks a few times trying to grasp all that Maui has said and trying to appreciate the statements that Beyal is making. She then turns her head down slightly to look at Taniwha, and then turns her head again to look at Marcus counting things out in her head and says "May I ask who exactly you are counting as Kings of the Forest? I am certain I know at least one of them, and I am pretty sure I don't qualify as I am not male..."

Fae'shiel is looking around slightly confused trying to place exactly what Maui has been saying with regards to the identity of this Beyal person and why it seems that this Beyal person seems to have gotten slightly offended by his statements.

 

[Artur Hawkwing]

Marcus eyes the stranger in a cautious manner, but makes no threatening moves, but does not relax. A good Ranger can keep himself on alert. His eyes don't stay on the woman as the Druid's feline approaches and plops his noggin on her lap, instead his eyes turn to Fae'shiel, watching her reactions to what is going on. His ears are tuned to the forest around them. Fae'shiel's comment brings the Ranger's attention for the moment back to what is before him, away from the wind rustling the leaves at the edge of the clearing.

Miss Beyal. We are looking for the source of a recent attack on a wagon passing along the road nearby. Lady Fae'shiel can give you a more accurate description of the creatures responsible, if required, but they are known to us as Pugwampi. It is unlike them to be so aggressive. The path they followed to the road was marked well enough for us to follow it to a point near this clearing, where some of our companions heard your melody carrying on the wind as a bird on wing. Lady Fae'shiel decided it best if we investigated, to make sure it was not someone in need of rescue. We will not tarry about within your forest once we have figured out what happened and, hopefully, retrieved the items taken from the wagon.

Marcus blinks, as if he hadn't expected to be quite so verbose. After speaking, he peels his gaze from the profile of Fae'shiel he has been watching carefully, to turn his eyes to Beyal, hoping his attempt to steer his companions back to the job at hand helps, lest he himself become as confused as they seem to be becoming.

[sblock=ooc]Ooo! Ooo! I know! I know! Too bad Marcus is also about a dense as neutronium about it! [/sblock]

 

[jbear]

"What!!??!!" exclaims Maui, mortified by the notion Taniwha might have to put up with him and not the other way around.

"Taniwha put up with me? Ha! ..."

Maui seems a little lost for words as he watches his cat snuggling into the woman's lap. Suddenly his eyes grow wide.

"Now waiting a moment! Maui can untangle te words of te Sly ... Handsome Blade is not king of te forest. He is king of te town. Mortar is brother of Mighty Axe, and a Son of Stone not leaf and tree. Fae'shiel is wahine ... so not a king. Not Toad Hunter ... he is more bitten dog than man..."

He looks at Marcus.

"Marcus? He has Cat's Eye ... but king of te forest?"

He shakes his head.

"Taniwha!? You are talking about Taniwha? Taniwha is te two kings of te forest? He is not even te one king of te forest. Maui can count you know. So who is te other king Maui travels with?"

Maui seems to be winding himself up, his voice growing more excited with each sentence. "Ha! Taniwha is a king!? Who puts up with te optus Maui? Ha! I'm not even fat! Oh, hail mighty Taniwha, King of te Forest! Son of te Pest! Oh, look what I found ... te other king of te forest in my pocket!"

Maui takes out the toad from his pocket and holds it up as if he held something of wonder, obviously mocking the notion that Taniwha is king of the forest and really going over the top to ram his point home.

"All hail Toad! Te Other King of te Forest! All bow to te kings."

His mockery ended he angrily stuffs the toad back into his pocket who scampers about obviously upset at the sudden lift into the air and the not to soft treatment of being stuffed back into a pocket. Maui crosses his arms glaring at Taniwha who continues to ignore him, more interested now in grooming himself.

 

[DalkonCledwin]

Fae'shiel hears Marcus remind everyone of why they are hear. She also listens calmly to Maui's rant about traveling with Kings of the Forest. She is slightly amused by the fact that it seems that Maui will get into an argument with just about any creature of the Feywild regardless of what type of creature they happen to be. He seems to like to argue on principle alone.

Calmly and gently she places a hand on Maui's shoulder and says as gently as possible "Please calm yourself. We really don't need to be getting this riled up. I am sure she did not mean to insult you."

 

[Systole]

Beyal shrugs at the ranger's comments. "I know the pugwampi. They come and they go, but who they attack or what enemies they make is no concern of mine. Such is the way of the wilds, after all. I suppose it might have something to do with Lasher and the other king." She shrugs again, such things apparently being beneath her concern. "But the pugwampi bring me pretty things, so I allow them passage through my forest. Sometimes they have no pretty things, and they dance for me instead." She pauses to giggle. "It's terrible, their dancing, but I do love to watch it. So if you seek passage as well, what gift have you brought me? Maybe a story? It's been quite a while since I heard a good story."

At Maui's comments, Beyal rises angrily to her feet, her eyes flashing. Her fingers curl to claws and her hair rises about her in a nimbus, and everyone can see a wildly twitching foxtail beneath her skirt. The creature still appears human, but something ancient, wild, and wrathful has started to awaken. “You mock and mistreat a king of the forest in my domain? In my presence? You should know your place!”

.......... Beyal ..........

 

[Artur Hawkwing]

Marcus searches his memory for some story or another that might serve to appease this creature. He heard plenty enough during the lessons Lady Atchka took, but his efforts fail to produce anything he feels would be acceptable. However, something Beyal says makes him form a question.

I fear I have no stories that you would find interesting. However, I could share one or two if you might tell me more about Lash....

The creature's obvious anger at the Druid's antics set off an alarm in the back of Marcus' mind. His arm makes a move, out of reflex toward the quiver on his back. He catches himself mid reach and manages to force it into a scratch, as if the shoulder itched. Obviously this woman is not one to be messed with. The Ranger takes a deep breath.

Maui, I think you had better apologize. After all, the effort you went through to retrieve that toad, secure him in safety to get him out of the city, I'd think you'd have been a bit more considerate of his feelings.

Marcus is deliberate in his turn of full attention from the furiously waving tail beneath the dress to being focused on the Druid. After speaking, his glance flicks to Fae'shiel at the Druid's side, as if looking for her support, not daring to turn a look to the rest of their companions.

 

[Scott DeWar]

Standing opposite of Fae'shiel at Maui's side, Vincenzo bows to the fox tailed fey and says, "Your Ladyship, if I may speak to our companion a short moment?"

If given permission, he will quietly say, but not whispered, "Perhaps this is a good place for the toad to be released?"

 

[jbear]

Maui looks dumbly from Beyal to his companions.

"What? Te toad? Why are you talking about te toad? I thought we were talking about Taniwha?"

Maui blinks a few times suddenly left calm by his absolute confusion. He looks at Vincenzo after his suggestion to release the toad.

"Thank you for your idea, but this is not a city. But maybe that is a good question to ask te Sly."

Oblivious to her fury as none of this makes sense to him he takes the opportunity to ask council of one who knows the forest.

"Do you know a good place for a toad to live? I found him running from te city, escaping from te Devil Hunter who licks his back. He needs a new home. With toadstools."

 

[Caim]

Mortar gets into an almost defense stance but does not raise his bow or load the arrow in his hand. "Maybe ya should show Beyal a bit more respect along with that King of The Forest ya holdin before there be a fight."

 

[DalkonCledwin]

"Maui, I have three things to say to you, first I highly suggest you release the toad into Beyal's care as I am sure she is more than capable of taking care of it. Second, I have to agree with Beyal, that treatment of the Toad was most unbecoming of a servant of Tane. I would have expected a great deal more care when handling one of Tane's children. And finally, I think you owe Beyal an apology for your behavior just now, since it is quite clear that what you did just now upset her." Fae'shiel says to Maui, a calming hand still on the Druids shoulder. This surprising gesture coming from an individual who not too long ago had been at terrible odds with Maui, herself but who now seems to want to get out of the current situation with as little difficulty as possible. Fae'shiel is however very careful to use Maui's own terminology when referring to the Gods of the Forest instead of her culture's terminology.