Sagiro
Rodent of Uncertain Parentage
Sagiro’s Story Hour, Part 195
A banterish interlude
(note: if you‘re one of those people who voted for less verbatim dialogue, you can safely skip this installment. I’ve done a bit of culling and tweaking to make it readable, but this is a decent example of character interplay that goes on between the moments of action, plot and excitement.)
* *
Aravis admits that they’d like to stay some weeks, training, praying and studying.
“I have nothing personal against you,” says Tog, “but the longer you stay, the more questions it will raise among the people of Green Valley. But, here you are. I will not turn you out of the village. If you wish you may camp outside, or I can find you a barn to stay in. And If you wish to share in our food, we will ask that you perform some labor. It is our way.”
The Company thinks a barn would be ideal, and agrees readily to work for their food and lodging. Tog gives them directions to the dwelling of a farmer named Matt.
“Tell him Tog said you could stay in his barn, unless he has some objection.”
The party leaves Tog to his meditations and walks into the cool night, headed across town.
“I want to start training that six-month-old to be an adventurer,” says Dranko idly as they walk. The others look at him like he’s crazy.
“He’s not strong enough to hold the torch,” says Ernie.
“Ah, but he will be,” says Dranko. “And when time starts moving again, he’ll be a kick-ass adventurer by the time he’s five.”
“Let’s just find this man’s barn,” says Step, frowning.
“Hey, it’s like a story I’ve heard,” says Dranko. “I’ll bet the farmer has an attractive daughter. The farmer always has an attractive daughter. She’ll be caught out in the rain and have to take shelter in the barn. She'll come in all soaking wet, and we’ll have to… what?”
Morningstar is giving him a withering look. Grey Wolf mutters, “I’m all out of mage hands; I’ll have to slap him myself.”
“It’s just a story,” says Dranko.
After a few minutes they arrive at the farmhouse, which has a large barn out back and several adjacent fields. There’s light coming from the windows in the house so they walk up and knock on the door. Presently they hear footsteps approach, and a middle-aged man with graying hair and thick arms comes to meet them.
“Hello,” says Aravis politely. “You are Matt?”
The man looks carefully at Aravis, and then at the other members of the Company. His mouth makes involuntary chewing noises as he sizes them up.
“You’re them what came down from the woods up yonder,” he says with a drawl.
“Yes, we are.”
“What can I do for yeh?”
“Elder Tog suggested that if you don’t mind, there was a barn here we might be able to use for a few weeks,” says Aravis.
“Tell him we’ll help with the chores!” chimes in Ernie.
Matt looks down at Ernie, puzzled.
“At the moment I am the only one of us who can speak your language,” explains Aravis.
“Ah.”
“They are making suggestions as I talk. We would be happy to share chores while we’re here.”
Ernie beams, trying to look as trustworthy as possible.
Matt says nothing for a moment. He’s staring (rudely, really) into the star-fields that serve Aravis for eyes.
“What the hell is that?” he asks eventually.
“I have inside me a magical item, and it… does that to my eyes.”
“What, yuh eat it?” asks Matt.
“It more just kind of entered,” says Aravis patiently.
“You oughtta be more careful,” advises Matt, making some more chewing sounds.
“I know,” says Aravis.
“Tog says you could have the barn, huh?”
“If it was all right with you,” says Aravis.
“Right neighborly of him,” says Matt sourly. “Needs fixin’.”
“We’d be happy to work on it,” says Aravis.
“You got any skill?” asks Matt. “I mean, you know how to fix a barn?”
Aravis relays all of this to the others. Ernie beams even more, trying so hard to make a good impression that his face is stretched into an alarming rictus.
“What’s his problem,” asks Matt, glancing down at Ernie.
Aravis looks over at Ernie.
“I have no idea,” confesses Aravis. “But about your barn, we may need some direction, but we are accomplished laborers.”
“Uh huh,” says Matt. “Ask me, you look like some strange cross ‘tween a travellin’ circus and an army. Where’d you come from, anyhows?”
“From a very far away place, that’s very hard to get to from here,” says Aravis.
“Huh. Came through a door what don’t exist no more, is what I hear. Got that right? Awful… convenient.”
There’s an awkward pause during which Matt seems like he might say more on this topic, but in the end he clicks his tongue and says:
“Yeah, you can have the barn. I’ll get some lumber delivered and you guys can do the rest.”
Aravis relays. Dranko grins and, perhaps feeling like he has to make up for the bit about the farmer’s daughter, says, “Tell him if he hits on Morningstar I’ll pull out his tongue.”
Matt looks over at him, frowning even though he doesn’t speak the language.
“He’s got funny teeth,” he says to Aravis.
“He was hit very hard as a young boy, and so he has brain damage,” explains Aravis, keeping a remarkably straight face.
“You’re telling him I’m good at my job, right?” says Dranko, a bit anxiously.
“Well, you keep him away from sharp things in the barn then,” says Matt.
The farmer looks around again at the Company. His eyes pause this time on where Flicker and Ernie stand in front of Kibi.
“Them little ones,” he says, “especially the one with the beard…”
He trails off, not exactly sure what’s bothering him.
“This one is an excellent chef,” says Aravis, motioning to Ernie. “He can make anything you want to eat.”
Matt perks up a bit, showing more emotion that he has thus far.
“Apple pie?” he asks.
“Ooooh, yes,” says Aravis, nodding his head.
“Well, maybe we can work that into the agreement about the barn,” says the farmer.
“What’s that about?” says Ernie. “Why is he pointing at me?”
“He wants you to milk the bull,” says Dranko.
“He’d like you to help with the cooking,” says Aravis, shooting Dranko a look.
That, of course, makes Ernie’s day.
“I guess they’re so short from some strange side-effect of the Stillness, ain’t they?” says Matt.
“Yeah,” says Aravis, not really wanting to explain.
“Pity about that,” says Matt. “Still don’t understand about the beard, though. He… he ain’t human, is he.”
“No,” says Aravis,
“Dangerous?”
“No!”
“I don’t want none of them weapons in my house. They stay in the barn. And don’t go causin’ no trouble on m’ property. And I don’t want to hear no noises late at night, either.”
Aravis agrees to all terms and the Company goes to check out the living arrangements. The barn is large and drafty but that’s no hardship considering the weather. One of the back corners is rotting out and needs repair, but the rest looks sound enough. There are stalls for cows or horses but they’ve been long empty. The loft has some stale straw.
“We shouldn’t stay up late,” says Aravis as they settle in. “I promised Matt no loud noises.”
“Does that include Dranko’s snoring?” asks Kibi hopefully.
“It’s no louder than yours,” growls Dranko.
“Ernie, he’d like you to help in the kitchen,” says Aravis. “He seems to have a fondness for apple pie.”
“Got it. I’ll cook him an apple pie that’ll make his beard curl.”
“He’s clean shaven,” Dranko points out.
“We’ll then, it’ll grow him a beard and then curl it.”
“And no weapons in the house,” says Aravis. “He thinks we’re weird.”
Dranko walks over to examine the rotting walls in the back corner of the barn.
“Hey, want me to cast ‘make hole?’
He puts fist through a rotten beam. Kibi looks it up and down.
“That was a support post,” he comments.
“If this tips over in the middle of the night, it’ll be your fault,” says Ernie.
“You’ll want to be careful,” says Aravis to Dranko. “Matt already thinks you’re a little… slow.”
“Why does he think I’m slow?” asks Dranko indignantly. “I’m not slow! I’m fast! What are you talking about?”
“You gave him the impression that you were a little… “
Aravis taps his head. Dranko looks outraged.
“How did I give him that impression?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it was because you kept making nonsense comments while we were talking.”
Somehow Aravis isn’t laughing. He’s suddenly thankful that his starry eyes help make his expression unreadable.
“So did Ernie,” complains Dranko.
“But he was trying to look friendly and trustworthy.”
“Right,” mutters Dranko.
“I tried to assure him that you’d be safe,” says Aravis.
“I am going to sleep,” says Step suddenly, and not appreciating the banter. “Can you talk more quietly?”
Dranko searches around the barn before spending a couple of hours sneaking around the village, mapping it out in his head. The only odd thing he notices is that there aren’t many stores and shops, given that the village population looks to be well over five hundred people. Around midnight he comes back, settles into his bedroll, closes his eyes, and tries his best to ignore Kibi’s snoring.
...to be continued...
A banterish interlude
(note: if you‘re one of those people who voted for less verbatim dialogue, you can safely skip this installment. I’ve done a bit of culling and tweaking to make it readable, but this is a decent example of character interplay that goes on between the moments of action, plot and excitement.)
* *
Aravis admits that they’d like to stay some weeks, training, praying and studying.
“I have nothing personal against you,” says Tog, “but the longer you stay, the more questions it will raise among the people of Green Valley. But, here you are. I will not turn you out of the village. If you wish you may camp outside, or I can find you a barn to stay in. And If you wish to share in our food, we will ask that you perform some labor. It is our way.”
The Company thinks a barn would be ideal, and agrees readily to work for their food and lodging. Tog gives them directions to the dwelling of a farmer named Matt.
“Tell him Tog said you could stay in his barn, unless he has some objection.”
The party leaves Tog to his meditations and walks into the cool night, headed across town.
“I want to start training that six-month-old to be an adventurer,” says Dranko idly as they walk. The others look at him like he’s crazy.
“He’s not strong enough to hold the torch,” says Ernie.
“Ah, but he will be,” says Dranko. “And when time starts moving again, he’ll be a kick-ass adventurer by the time he’s five.”
“Let’s just find this man’s barn,” says Step, frowning.
“Hey, it’s like a story I’ve heard,” says Dranko. “I’ll bet the farmer has an attractive daughter. The farmer always has an attractive daughter. She’ll be caught out in the rain and have to take shelter in the barn. She'll come in all soaking wet, and we’ll have to… what?”
Morningstar is giving him a withering look. Grey Wolf mutters, “I’m all out of mage hands; I’ll have to slap him myself.”
“It’s just a story,” says Dranko.
After a few minutes they arrive at the farmhouse, which has a large barn out back and several adjacent fields. There’s light coming from the windows in the house so they walk up and knock on the door. Presently they hear footsteps approach, and a middle-aged man with graying hair and thick arms comes to meet them.
“Hello,” says Aravis politely. “You are Matt?”
The man looks carefully at Aravis, and then at the other members of the Company. His mouth makes involuntary chewing noises as he sizes them up.
“You’re them what came down from the woods up yonder,” he says with a drawl.
“Yes, we are.”
“What can I do for yeh?”
“Elder Tog suggested that if you don’t mind, there was a barn here we might be able to use for a few weeks,” says Aravis.
“Tell him we’ll help with the chores!” chimes in Ernie.
Matt looks down at Ernie, puzzled.
“At the moment I am the only one of us who can speak your language,” explains Aravis.
“Ah.”
“They are making suggestions as I talk. We would be happy to share chores while we’re here.”
Ernie beams, trying to look as trustworthy as possible.
Matt says nothing for a moment. He’s staring (rudely, really) into the star-fields that serve Aravis for eyes.
“What the hell is that?” he asks eventually.
“I have inside me a magical item, and it… does that to my eyes.”
“What, yuh eat it?” asks Matt.
“It more just kind of entered,” says Aravis patiently.
“You oughtta be more careful,” advises Matt, making some more chewing sounds.
“I know,” says Aravis.
“Tog says you could have the barn, huh?”
“If it was all right with you,” says Aravis.
“Right neighborly of him,” says Matt sourly. “Needs fixin’.”
“We’d be happy to work on it,” says Aravis.
“You got any skill?” asks Matt. “I mean, you know how to fix a barn?”
Aravis relays all of this to the others. Ernie beams even more, trying so hard to make a good impression that his face is stretched into an alarming rictus.
“What’s his problem,” asks Matt, glancing down at Ernie.
Aravis looks over at Ernie.
“I have no idea,” confesses Aravis. “But about your barn, we may need some direction, but we are accomplished laborers.”
“Uh huh,” says Matt. “Ask me, you look like some strange cross ‘tween a travellin’ circus and an army. Where’d you come from, anyhows?”
“From a very far away place, that’s very hard to get to from here,” says Aravis.
“Huh. Came through a door what don’t exist no more, is what I hear. Got that right? Awful… convenient.”
There’s an awkward pause during which Matt seems like he might say more on this topic, but in the end he clicks his tongue and says:
“Yeah, you can have the barn. I’ll get some lumber delivered and you guys can do the rest.”
Aravis relays. Dranko grins and, perhaps feeling like he has to make up for the bit about the farmer’s daughter, says, “Tell him if he hits on Morningstar I’ll pull out his tongue.”
Matt looks over at him, frowning even though he doesn’t speak the language.
“He’s got funny teeth,” he says to Aravis.
“He was hit very hard as a young boy, and so he has brain damage,” explains Aravis, keeping a remarkably straight face.
“You’re telling him I’m good at my job, right?” says Dranko, a bit anxiously.
“Well, you keep him away from sharp things in the barn then,” says Matt.
The farmer looks around again at the Company. His eyes pause this time on where Flicker and Ernie stand in front of Kibi.
“Them little ones,” he says, “especially the one with the beard…”
He trails off, not exactly sure what’s bothering him.
“This one is an excellent chef,” says Aravis, motioning to Ernie. “He can make anything you want to eat.”
Matt perks up a bit, showing more emotion that he has thus far.
“Apple pie?” he asks.
“Ooooh, yes,” says Aravis, nodding his head.
“Well, maybe we can work that into the agreement about the barn,” says the farmer.
“What’s that about?” says Ernie. “Why is he pointing at me?”
“He wants you to milk the bull,” says Dranko.
“He’d like you to help with the cooking,” says Aravis, shooting Dranko a look.
That, of course, makes Ernie’s day.
“I guess they’re so short from some strange side-effect of the Stillness, ain’t they?” says Matt.
“Yeah,” says Aravis, not really wanting to explain.
“Pity about that,” says Matt. “Still don’t understand about the beard, though. He… he ain’t human, is he.”
“No,” says Aravis,
“Dangerous?”
“No!”
“I don’t want none of them weapons in my house. They stay in the barn. And don’t go causin’ no trouble on m’ property. And I don’t want to hear no noises late at night, either.”
Aravis agrees to all terms and the Company goes to check out the living arrangements. The barn is large and drafty but that’s no hardship considering the weather. One of the back corners is rotting out and needs repair, but the rest looks sound enough. There are stalls for cows or horses but they’ve been long empty. The loft has some stale straw.
“We shouldn’t stay up late,” says Aravis as they settle in. “I promised Matt no loud noises.”
“Does that include Dranko’s snoring?” asks Kibi hopefully.
“It’s no louder than yours,” growls Dranko.
“Ernie, he’d like you to help in the kitchen,” says Aravis. “He seems to have a fondness for apple pie.”
“Got it. I’ll cook him an apple pie that’ll make his beard curl.”
“He’s clean shaven,” Dranko points out.
“We’ll then, it’ll grow him a beard and then curl it.”
“And no weapons in the house,” says Aravis. “He thinks we’re weird.”
Dranko walks over to examine the rotting walls in the back corner of the barn.
“Hey, want me to cast ‘make hole?’
He puts fist through a rotten beam. Kibi looks it up and down.
“That was a support post,” he comments.
“If this tips over in the middle of the night, it’ll be your fault,” says Ernie.
“You’ll want to be careful,” says Aravis to Dranko. “Matt already thinks you’re a little… slow.”
“Why does he think I’m slow?” asks Dranko indignantly. “I’m not slow! I’m fast! What are you talking about?”
“You gave him the impression that you were a little… “
Aravis taps his head. Dranko looks outraged.
“How did I give him that impression?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it was because you kept making nonsense comments while we were talking.”
Somehow Aravis isn’t laughing. He’s suddenly thankful that his starry eyes help make his expression unreadable.
“So did Ernie,” complains Dranko.
“But he was trying to look friendly and trustworthy.”
“Right,” mutters Dranko.
“I tried to assure him that you’d be safe,” says Aravis.
“I am going to sleep,” says Step suddenly, and not appreciating the banter. “Can you talk more quietly?”
Dranko searches around the barn before spending a couple of hours sneaking around the village, mapping it out in his head. The only odd thing he notices is that there aren’t many stores and shops, given that the village population looks to be well over five hundred people. Around midnight he comes back, settles into his bedroll, closes his eyes, and tries his best to ignore Kibi’s snoring.
...to be continued...
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