NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ajanders" data-source="post: 2783281" data-attributes="member: 3271">Theo looks a little relieved as he takes Jaan's hand and squeezes it tightly."Theo, don't keep Mr. Jaan too long.  We will have some things to discuss with him before he goes into the attic."Grandmama sounds faintly annoyed with her grandson at this point.  And to be honest, this is...well, quite a lot for a respectably settled Grandmama to deal with at this time of the day.Theo says nothing as he leads Jaan out into the hall and quietly closes the door to the parlor.  Once the door is closed, he leads Jaan up the stairs, through the golden light from the colored glass window.  The stairs go up four steps, then turn left.  The stairs creak slightly under Jaan's weight. After four more steps, the stairs turn left again, opening onto a second floor landing.  This landing is illuminated with another window, pebbly-clear and split into dozens of tiny lights, as well as an near empty oil lamp sitting on a narrow battered dresser.  The smell of sausages, peppers, and onions hangs in the air.  A reedy tenor voice sings a song in a language Jaan does not recognize to the accompaniment of frying sounds.Theo looks up at Jaan and somberly presses his finger to his lips.  Stairs lead up again, off the landing and up...presumably to the fort and then on to the attic.  Theo looks up those stairs carefully, in case monsters are hiding up there in wait.  At least temporarily satisfied, he reaches under the dresser and pulls out a toy marble-shooting crossbow.  He cocks it, pulls a marble out of his jumper pocket, and drops it in the pouch of the bow.Looking back up the stairs, he sweeps the whole with of the stairs and up into the ceiling with his marble bow, looking alarmingly professional.Jaan has a feeling playing "Rangers and Orcs" with this kid gets pretty cutthroat.Theo looks up the stairs again, and swallows hard, mustering his courage.  But he's got his crossbow, his best marble, a real live paladin, and his Gwmamma's orders.  Any monster up there is gonna regret it.  He charges up the stairs, waving for Jaan to follow him.  After six steps, the stairs merge onto a small landing: just enough space to turn around in.  The only light on this landing shines up the stairs from the lamp and window below: the window on this landing is small, very low...only coming up to Jaan's knee...and filled with blue, green, and red glass that stops nearly all the light.  On the left wall of the landing is a secret door, three feet high.Well, it was a secret door.  Then someone nailed a sign to it that reads:          THEO'S FORT     NO GURLS ALLOWED     GRAMMAS DONT COUNTwhich made it rather obvious.Theo stops in front of this sign and beckons Jaan down to him before whispering in his ear."You can't tell Gwamma about what's in hewe.  I don't want hew to be sad.  You go fiwst.  I'll covew you."  He tucks the crossbow into his shoulder and sights on the door, waiting for Jaan to go in first.</blockquote>

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