dtc. The Tavern. Fever.

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

Randomly: *sitting in Honeyfuggle's lap* ^^

Honeyfuggle: *is tied to that chair* >.>

Randomly: *gnaw on Honeyfuggle head*

Honeyfuggle: *amused sigh*

Chagrin: *facepalm as he returns and sees them*

one of Heartstone's ent saplings: *wandering around aimlessly by the hearth*

Chagrin: *thinks that's new*

Anna: *has a wyvern on her shoulder as she serves tables and works*

Chagrin: *heads for Honeyfuggle's table*

Randomly: *wave to her brother*

Anna: *calls for Heartstone to get her tree out of the way, and then looks around with a frown* Heartstone?

Chagrin: o.O *looks for Heartstone as well*

Bumblebee: I saw her go out the stable door a little while ago.

Chagrin: Hmm...I'll be right back. *heads for the stable. He hadn't seen her when he put his steed up, but...*

stable: *has no people in it. Except for the two who sleep under it. There's a murmur of voices from the cellar*

Chagrin: *heads for the cellar then*

Kia: *peeks out when he knocks on the trap door in the floor* Yes... Chagrin, is it?

Chagrin: Yes, it is...have you seen Heartstone?

Kia: No. I'm sorry. I did hear her put her mare away a few hours ago.

Chagrin: Hmmm...thank you, anyway.

Kia: You're welcome. *concerned look, but she's already squinting even in the soft light of the stable and will be glad to be away from the sun*

Chagrin: *heads back to see if Heartstone's mare is in the stable*

mare: *nuzzling Blitzwing and talking to him with little whickers*

Blitzwing: ^.^ ^.^ ^.^

Chagrin: Huh...*goes to look around the merchant stalls*

merchant: Heartstone? That little girl with the long hair?

Chagrin: Yes, have you seen her lately?

merchant: *shakes his head* She didn't come in today.

Chagrin: Thank you. *tries to think where else she may be*

merchant: Maybe Tracks or Flashpoint saw something. That Rom wagon of theirs is right where you can see people come and go from the tavern.

Chagrin: Thank you again. *heads that way*

Tracks: *sitting on the back bumper of the wheel-less wagon, brewing some raspberry leaf tea over a small camping stove*

Chagrin: Tracks? Have you seen Heartstone lately?

Tracks: *looks up and frowns just slightly as he places the thin young man* Actually, I have. She went to the orchard not that long ago with one of her little trees.

Chagrin: Orchard? Thank you, I'll check there.

Tracks: You're welcome. Er, you do know to stay clear of WakeJumper and Wheeljill's tree, right?

Chagrin: Ah...I do now.

Tracks: It's the weeping willow in the corner made by the orchard wall and the tavern. They've got a bower under there.

Chagrin: Thank you. *heading for the orchard now*

orchard: *smells good even before he gets to it. Like green leaves just starting out, and the spring that makes the ferns and the weeping willow grow so happily*

Chagrin: *sniffs. sighs lightly*

gate: *creaks softly as he opens it*

Chagrin: *pauses at the creaking, then looks around*

trees: *just starting to get green*

something: *squeaking softly over back behind the raspberry canes*

Chagrin: *investigate*

Heartstone: *kneeling on the new grass by a little plot of ground where it looks like she'd been planting some flowers. She's folded over her knees with her arms on the ground and her head on them, her hair spread out over her back as the other tiny ent walks around her and squeaks anxiously*

Chagrin: Heartstone!

Heartstone: *little start, and then tries to push herself up* What.... Chagrin? *flushed. It looks like the fever that was bothering her a few days ago has come back*

Chagrin: Are you okay? You seem sick...

Heartstone: *blinks and looks at her hands, which are muddy from planting flowers. Frowns uncertainly and then rubs her forehead with the sleeve of her brown dress* I.... So tired.

enting: *squeak squeak!*

Chagrin: You need to come inside...*moves to help her*

Heartstone: *tries to get up, but catches her foot on her dress and nearly squishes the enting*

Chagrin: *catch!*

Heartstone: *yup. It's the fever. She's way too hot, and shaking slightly as she rests her head against him*

enting: *squeak!*

Chagrin: *picks Heartstone up* Gotta get you well. *looks at the entling* Follow us?

enting: *squeak!* *looks up at him with its funny little face*

Heartstone: *just snuggling and hiding her face against Chagrin as she nods back toward sleep*

Chagrin: *starting to head towards the Tavern*

enting: *follows, little rooty feet carrying it swiftly in his wake*

Chagrin: *makes it to the Tavern. Gonna find someplace to make Heartstone comfortable*

Anna: *looks up as he comes in. Was having a disagreement with the other enting but now straightens as it recognizes its caregiver and toddles to meet Chagrin and Heartstone. Follows the little treefolk* What happened?

Chagrin: Found her in the orchard. I think she's sick again.

Anna: *frowns and puts a hand on the girl's forehead, then winces* Yup.

Chagrin: Need to get her comfortable...

Anna: Do you have money for a room?

Chagrin: ...How much? *he's not sure, but...*

Anna: It's eighty credits.

Chagrin: *checks and frowns* Not quite enough..

Anna: *glances toward Honeyfuggle*

Chagrin: *does as well*

Honeyfuggle: *being gnawed on*

Anna: *quietly* He helped with Ironhide's room at least once....

Chagrin: I..well, if it's for Heartstone...

Anna: The hearth is the other place I could suggest, and it's pretty busy. *looks over to the row of louts sitting and happily talking and eating in front of the fireplace.*

Chagrin: *nods lightly at that. Guess he's...going to have to bug Honeyfuggle*

Anna: I'll get some broth. *turning toward the kitchen*

Chagrin: Thank you...*heading for Honeyfuggle's table again, still carrying Heartstone*

Heartstone: *makes a small sound and moves her head and one hand, trying to wake up*

Chagrin: Shhh.

Randomly: o.O! What happened?

entings: *squeak squeak!*

Chagrin: She's sick..she needs someplace quiet to rest and recouperate...

Honeyfuggle: You need a few credits for a room?

Heartstone: Mmmy flowers.... *lifts head and looks around foggily*

entings: *squeak!*

Chagrin: *blush* Yes...and they'll be okay. You need rest...

Heartstone: Rest? *blinking and breathing a little heavily in her weariness*

Honeyfuggle: *getting loose*

Chagrin: You're sick.

Heartstone: .... Oh no. *hides face with embarrassment*

Chagrin: It's okay...you just need some rest.

Honeyfuggle: *hands over the credits needed*

Heartstone: *shivering as her body starts thinking it's cold*

enting: *looking at Randomly* 0.o

Chagrin: Thank..you...*takes the credits*

Randomly: *making faces at the baby tree*

enting: 0.o o.0 ^_^ *squeak!*

enting 2: *looks at brother, and then looks up* *squeak squeak!*

Randomly: *giggling at the little trees*

Zombie monkey: Eeepeep!

entings: *afraid of monkey! Hide behind Chagrin*

Chagrin: *can't facepalm. hands are full of Heartstone*

Heartstone: *lifts her head* Entings.... Crying?

Chagrin: Randomly's pet scared them.

Zombie monkey: *hide now!*

Heartstone: Safe.... Safe. *lays her head against Chagrin again and tries to stop shivering*

Chagrin: *comfort, and goes to find Anna. Has enough creds for a room now*

Anna: *comes out of the kitchen, her little wyvern still draped over her shoulders* Great. Go lay her on the cot. Do you have enough warm covers?

Chagrin: If not...I have a feeling I know who does.

Anna: Alright. I'll be down there with the broth in a little while. You've got room six.

Chagrin: Thank you. *goes to that room*

Honeyfuggle and Randomly: *will follow and help*

room: *small. Bare. Cot. Wash stand. And now two entings*

entings: *beetling around and squeaking*

Chagrin: *put her down on the cot*

Honeyfuggle: *goes to get some of his furs*

Randomly: *faces at the entings again* ^^

entings: *squeak!*

Heartstone: *dirty bare feet curling as she shivers*

Honeyfuggle: *back with furs*

Chagrin: *making Heartstone comfortable*

Heartstone: Was digging. Dirty.... *bites tongue and winces*

Chagrin: Oh...*goes to find something to wash with*

entings: *follow him*

Anna: *has her pewter spoon and just applied it to a guy's head out by the bar*

Chagrin: *wince at that*

guy: *sneaks away in shame*

Anna: Try it again and you'll be sleeping outside and off my grounds.

Chagrin: ...dare I ask? *was thinking washing things could be found in the washrack*

Anna: No. *looks up at him* What do you need?

Chagrin: Washing things. Was heading for the washroom to check.

Anna: The soap's there. But you're probably going to need a basin and a rag. *goes to get*

Chagrin: *nod lightly*

Anna: *back, even got warm water in the basin* Heartstone's fancy soap's probably in her box.

Chagrin: Thank you again. ^^

Anna: No problem. She helps me a lot around here.

Chagrin: *smiles as he takes the items and goes back to the room*

Heartstone: *buried under warm furs, her eyelids flickering at dreams*

entings: *found a pile of dirt someone swept into the corner. Are talking about it and poking at it*

Chagrin: .... *wonders if he should disturb her with the cleaning...*

Heartstone: *soft moan in her sleep*

Chagrin: *will at least wash feet...*

Heartstone: *toes curl, but she doesn't react otherwise*

entings: *water? Oooo, can they stand in it?*

Chagrin: *wash wash wash..will probably not notice entings*

enting: *standing in the basin!*

Chagrin: *wash wa...wha?* Hey! I'm still using that!

enting: *squeak?* :o

Chagrin: ...goof tree.

enting 2: *squeak squeak?*

Chagrin: *sigh and thinks her feet are clean enough* Very well. Have at the water.

enting 2: *joins enting 1. Much happy and quiet squeaking as they soak their feet*

Randomly: *snickering*

Heartstone: What...?

Randomly: Baby trees standing in the washwater!

Heartstone: *frowns, but then tries to sit up* I didn't give them a drink....

entings: *baby trees going to sleep in the wash water*

Randomly: Do they drink with their feet?

Chagrin: shh, shh...what do they need?

Heartstone: Very weak... broth. *blinking blearily* No. Their mouths.

Randomly: Ohh. They sleep in water then! *since, you know, that's exactly what they're doing...*

Heartstone: What? *lifting her head and trying to see them*

Chagrin: They stood in the washbasin and fell asleep.

Heartstone: *still trying to see* They like to put their feet in their food before they drink it....

Chagrin: Odd

Heartstone: *squeezes her eyes shut and lays back* We... probably... seem odd... to them. *slight smile*

Randomly: True true!

Chagrin: *makes Heartsong comfortable*

Heartstone: Feed them? *anxious, though she can't be too anxious with how fuzzy and feverish she feels*

Randomly: Okay ^^..weak broth?

Heartstone: *nod* Stock bone broth. Sort that... jells.

Randomly: Okay *dashes off to ask Anna if she has any, and how much it'll cost.*

Anna: *has jars of it that she's keeping for Heartstone after the young woman made a big batch from the bones of a large Razormaw drake that she'd brought in* You'll need to warm it up a little for them.

Randomly: Okay. *will go to do just that*

Heartstone: *back in the room. Has Chagrin's hand without really noticing it. Her hand still has dirt on it*

Chagrin: ... *will now wash hand. Even if he has to reach around tree feets to do so*

Heartstone: *sleeps through this, though she tries her best to cling to his hand*

entings: *sleepy rustlings, but don't wake*

Randomly: *back with warm broth* Oh, sleepytrees....dinner.

entings: *scent the broth and open their big dark eyes to look around*

Anna: *also coming in with the broth for Heartstone* *chuckles when she sees where the entings are*

Randomly: *gonna try and feed entings. Without her zombie monkey getting too curious*

entings: *will take a cup in their tiny twiggy hands and drink from it if offered one. Won't try to wash feet in it first, since they already washed feet* *are squeaking quietly*

Anna: *offers Chagrin the broth for Heartstone* I put wine and some herbs in it.

Chagrin: *nods* Thank you *tries to wake Heartstone up for this*

Randomly: Cute cute cu...no broth for you, Jam.

Zombie Monkey: *back to hiding on Randomly's back*

Heartstone: *foggy and quizzical look* Am I hogging the covers?

Chagrin: No, no...broth time.

Heartstone: *puzzled frown* ...Broth?

Chagrin: Dinner

Heartstone: Oh... *trying to sit up again. Needs help*

Chagrin: *will help*

Honeyfuggle: *back with more furs and blankets*

Heartstone: *leaning against Chagrin and sipping the warm broth he's holding for her*

Chagrin: *making sure she gets it all*

Heartstone: *drinks quite a bit, but then puts her hand up to show she's had enough and hides her face against his shoulder*

Chagrin: *gives a one-armed snug*

Heartstone: *shivering slightly as she whispers something into the fabric of his tunic*

Chagrin: Heartstone?

Heartstone: *tips her face up to look at him foggily* ??

Chagrin: Are you going to be okay? You need anything else?

Heartstone: Just you....

Chagrin: *puts the rest of the broth to the side and snugs* I'm here.

Heartstone: *so quietly that he might barely hear it* I love you.

Chagrin: *blinks, then smiles and comforts*

Heartstone: *curls close to him and drops back to sleep*

Randomly: *has finished feeding the entings* *snerks at brother*

Chagrin: *rolls his eyes at Randomly, then tries to settle and lay down*

Heartstone: *moves slightly, but snuggles determinedly*

entings: *leaning against each other as they sleep*

Honeyfuggle: If there's anything you need, let me know, okay?

Chagrin: Let Stoic know where we are when he returns.

Heartstone: *nestled in warm nest of blankets and Chagrin. Smiling in her sleep as her shivering fades. Still feverish, but comfortable*

Chagrin: *stays awake and on guard as long as possible, but soon also drifts into sleep*

Ratchet: *spoke to Honeyfuggle, and now peeks inside and tiptoes over to have a quick look at Heartstone. Approving nod and goes back out, closing the door quietly behind him*

((Co-written with random_xtras))