randomplaces | dtc. The Tavern. Tales Exchanged.

Honeyfuggle: *isn't looking so good*

Heartstone: *looks around as she comes into the common room, then frowns and goes over to her friend* Honeyfuggle? Sir?

Honeyfuggle: *looks up* Yes?

Heartstone: Are you alright?

Honeyfuggle: Just...working off a debt, is all.

Heartstone: *sympathetic look* Is there any way I can help?

Honeyfuggle: I..haven't found a way besides...just going out and dealing with it. *weak smile* ..just resting.

Heartstone: *slight shy smile in return* But I can bring you some food or something.

Honeyfuggle: Perhaps...a bit of roast. *puts his head down for a moment*

Heartstone: *worry* Maybe you need to lay down for a little while.

Honeyfuggle: Just need ...a little.

Heartstone: *goes and gets the roast, and also buys a big mug of warm buttermilk. Brings both back to him*

Honeyfuggle: *thanks Heartstone, then sniffs at the buttermilk* Milk?

Heartstone: *slight nod* It helps me feel better.

Honeyfuggle: *drinks some. Does feel some better* Thank you.

Heartstone: *smiles* The lady puts a little honey in it.

Honeyfuggle: *chuckles a bit*

Heartstone: ^_^ *then excuses herself to go get a big bit of roasted drake hatchling before she comes back to sit across from him and eat the free but fragrant food*

Honeyfuggle: *does feel some better, but decides working off the debt can wait* So...how'd you choose your profession?

Heartstone: *looks up from her meal* It was my father's. He needed a strong son to continue the legacy, but he only had me. So I started training.

Honeyfuggle: Ahh. *face goes blank for a moment, then nods*

Heartstone: Then he got a new wife as a repayment of a debt, and she had a son. *frowning at her food as she thinks again that that baby didn't look a thing like her father* My father said I was still his heir, because he was too old to do all the papers again, but then a servant found a banned book in my room.

Honeyfuggle: Banned book?

Heartstone: *nods* A magic book.

Honeyfuggle: *knows enough of the Steel Empire to wince at that*

Heartstone: *bitter small smile* It wasn't mine.

Honeyfuggle: ...someone framed you, then?

Heartstone: *nods* Since my father's wife's son's the heir now.... *shrug*

Honeyfuggle: I'm sorry...

Heartstone: *shrug* *a bit tonelessly as she looks back at her food* The funny thing is, I admitted to having a banned book because I thought they might have found the book I had, which isn't on the list, but only because the leader guy's never seen it, I think.

Honeyfuggle: *raises an eyebrow*

Heartstone: *shrugs* It's a book from the Islands, about a different leader guy. The peddler that sold it to me says they worship that guy there.

Honeyfuggle: Oh...*slight wince again*

Heartstone: Anyway. That's why I became one of these. *eats more*

Honeyfuggle: *small smile* Interesting.

Heartstone: *still looking at her food* Why'd you choose yours, sir?

Honeyfuggle: I feel safest in the air.

Heartstone: *gives him one of those unconsciously cute 0.o looks*

Honeyfuggle: *sighs* It's..hard to explain..talk about..

Heartstone: *blushes and once more looks at her food* I'm sorry for being nosy.

Honeyfuggle: No, no..I asked yours. Even trade. *pause* My family...was captured by...I can't remember. There's enough things out there that eat humans...

Heartstone: *shivers* They all got eaten up?

Honeyfuggle: ...think so. *shakes a bit at the memory* I was kept alive. Don't know why. Pet, perhaps, or perhaps I was to be eaten later...I escaped the camp, but...got lost in the wilds...

Heartstone: *slight wibble* Did someone find you?

Honeyfuggle: Yes. But they weren't human. Or humanoid. Wyvern. A wild titanscale, I found out later.

Heartstone: *big eyes widen as she actually remembers a name* Like your wyvern.

basket on the bar: *gives a quizzical cheep. Does someone want the Wyvern?*

Honeyfuggle: Yes. He got me back to civlization. He was a youngling, like me. He could still fly, though...*looks over at the cheep*

Heartstone: Do they have families? Was he lost too?

Honeyfuggle: I don't know. Quite a few of our mounts are trained to obey any Sky Guard. Titanscales choose their riders, and can not be made to change their minds.

Heartstone: *eyes wide* Was it your guy that found you?

Honeyfuggle: *smile at that* ..and he remembered me, too.

Heartstone: *soft ohhh*

Honeyfuggle: But...I do remember how I felt when I first flew. Away from those that would harm me. I was safe. That's why I joined when I became old enough.

Heartstone: *nods thoughtfully, and then looks down at her food* That sounds like a better reason than mine.

Honeyfuggle: Everyone has their reasons. *smile*

Heartstone: I know. *offers him some of the crisp drake skin*

Honeyfuggle: *takes the skin* Thank you.

Heartstone: *shy smile, and then feels brave enough to ask* Why are you here?

Honeyfuggle: It seemed like the best place to prove myself.

Heartstone: Prove yourself?

Honeyfuggle: *small smile* There were some that thought that an orphaned former street rat couldn't amount to anything.

Heartstone: Street rat? *then looks around as someone else comes in and shrinks a bit when she sees that it's one of the other Sky Guards, the dark woman who never smiles*

Nightwish: *walking slowly with a hand over the left side of her chest. Leans on a table for a moment, and then starts out toward the fireplace again*

Honeyfuggle: I begged, borrowed, stole, and I dare say honeyfuggled just to stay alive. *chuckle* I couldn't remember my real name, so that's how I got the one I have now.

Heartstone: ...I can't remember my name. *watching Nightwish*

Honeyfuggle: Yes..but you do have something to remind you what it is. *glances over at Nightwish as well*

Heartstone: Right. *checks it*

Nightwish: *lays down on the hearth in front of the fire and then closes her eyes with a sigh. And doesn't breath again*

Anna: Oh slag. *grabbing a handful of maple sugar and hurrying over to the fireplace*

Honeyfuggle: *sits up straighter now*

Heartstone: *name forgotten again as she watches with wide eyes and then gets up* Do you need help? What's wrong?

Anna: No. I don't need help. She's just died again.

Heartstone: *very confused sound*

Honeyfuggle: Oh...

Anna: *kneels beside Nightwish and watches her face, then puts a hand over hers as the colour suddenly comes back to the female Sky Guard's face and she gasps* Easy, I've got some sugar for you.

Nightwish: *tips head back with a disappointed sigh, and then sits up slowly to take the candy and eat it. Now that she's moved her hand away from her chest the bloody hole in her armor is clear*

Heartstone: 8O

Honeyfuggle: Slaag...

Nightwish: *looks over at him as Anna returns to the bar* I gave up saying that a long time ago.

Honeyfuggle: ..sorry.

Nightwish: *shrugs and eats candy, then reaches over and rips a leg off the newest roast* Didn't you ever hear the stories? I know they told enough of them about me.

Honeyfuggle: Yes..yes I have, Nightwish.

Nightwish: *sighs and eats ravenously* They're slag. I never scared Death, or slagged him off. I've never even met him.

Honeyfuggle: Never met Death?

Nightwish: *shakes her head*

Honeyfuggle: *is silent now*

Nightwish: Oh, and thank you for the training for my wyvern.

Honeyfuggle: *and a small smile appears on his face* You're welcome

Nightwish: There are too many other uses for credits. I've never managed to save enough for the license to ride the trained beasts. *still eating, most of the drake is gone now*

Honeyfuggle: *nods lightly at that* There are many, I will say that. *and looks slightly embarrassed at that, as well*

Nightwish: A lot of us would be beggers if it weren't for you. *gets up and wipes her hands, then goes to see how Ironhide is doing before she goes to get her armor repaired*

Heartstone: *still looking shocked to silence*

Honeyfuggle: *just nods as Nightwish goes, then back to Heartstone* Heartstone?

Heartstone: *blink blink blink. Notices he's looking at her and gives her cuff a quick check* Oh... right. Yes?

Honeyfuggle: Are...you okay?

Heartstone: Um... that... She died, right? Not like we do, and leave a body behind. Just dead.

Honeyfuggle: Yes.

Heartstone: Doesn't that mean the door opened for a little while? *very confused, and still surprised*

Honeyfuggle: Perhaps Death isn't there to greet her.

Heartstone: 0.o

Honeyfuggle: I don't know. I doubt she knows.

Heartstone: *slowly* Was she always like that?

Honeyfuggle: As far as I know. She's older then me, I know that much.

Heartstone: ...How old are you, sir?

Honeyfuggle: *looks a bit blank* Oh...I'm not sure anymore.

Anna: *setting more milk in front of them* She's older than Viisaus and Deepdancer.

Honeyfuggle: ...older than me still. Thank you, Anna.

Anna: *grins at him* No problem. I need someone to drink the stuff.

Heartstone: *sipping as she blinks*

Honeyfuggle: *chuckle and sips some*

Heartstone: *as Anna goes to check on the little wyvern* I feel dumb for feeling so picked on now.

Honeyfuggle: ..why?

Heartstone: I don't know. She looks so unhappy.

Honeyfuggle: She does. *doesn't know why*

Heartstone: And she sounded sad when she said she'd never met Death. *sips more buttermilk*

Honeyfuggle: She...might be old enough to feel she's lived long enough.

Heartstone: *sets her cup down* But some people want to live forever.

Honeyfuggle: True, that.

Heartstone: *slight frown, and then decides she won't be able to figure it out. Looks at him instead* Are you feeling better?

Honeyfuggle: I am. Thank you.

Heartstone: *there's the shy smile again* Maybe you should have some rest, anyway?

Honeyfuggle: ...do I look that bad? *weak smile*

Heartstone: *hesitates, not wanting to offend*

Honeyfuggle: Perhaps I need a rest. Sometimes I think it's the only way that slows me down. *chuckle*

Heartstone: *tentative smile* Do you want me to put your riding guy in the stable?

Honeyfuggle: Sure. He knows you.

Heartstone: Alright! *quickly finishes her milk and roast, and then gets up to go and do that*

Honeyfuggle: Thank you again. *gets up to go to his room. As much as he hates to admit it, he does need that rest.*

((Co-written with

random_xtras))