Little light penetrates down into one of those underground storehouses, but Thomas' internal alarm clock tells him that it's morning again. The fire in the hearth has burned down to glowing embers, but the man is kept warm by the body sprawled over and across him. Agatha may not act like Muirenn much, but she apparently picked up the previous Redmane's technique for ensuring that Thomas doesn't sneak out of bed on her by pinning him down while sleeping.
Being the devious sort that he is, Thomas takes this opportunity to loosen all the ties on Redmane's sleepwear before she awakens. Pinning him down is, after all, a dangerous tactic. He's liable to do anything...
"Mrrrmph," the redheaded girl mutters as she starts to stir. Raising her head up from Tom's chest, she lets out a massive yawn, and then asks, "Where am I?"
"We died so ... we're in paradise. It's really not as advertised. I think we should demand a refund," Thomas remarks calmly.
"Wha?" Redmane mutters, blinking to adjust her eyes to the dark. "Is it morning? I dreamt.. uh.. how did I get on top of you?" she then asks. "Did we... do anything? I thought I'd dreamt it.." It's all Agatha now, and even in the dimness Tom recognizes the deer-caught-in-headlights expression on her face.
"You mean you don't remember?" Thomas asks, apparently fully intending to freak Agatha out as much as possible. "I didn't think I would be that forgettable..."
"What?!" Agatha asks, sitting up now (which makes her straddling Tom, effectively). As the blanket falls, it takes her nightgown with it, thanks to someone having undone the shoulder straps. "Ahgh!" Agatha cries, throwing an arm across her chest. "It really happened?! Oh my God! How could you let me do that!"
Thomas decides to not let it go much further. His way of dealing with it, though, is to start laughing. "Calm down! Nothing happened. You really need to learn to relax," he says as he lifts the blanket up and drapes it over her. "All that happened was you pinned me down so I could try sneaking off."
Breathing hard in near panic, Agatha growls, "Thomas! I should.. pinch you! Everything is hazy after.. after.." She pauses to think. "After I got onto the table. What happened last night? And no pulling my leg! And.. what is poking me? Oh.. gaw! It's that thing that happens to boys in the morning isn't it?"
"I applied the Princess' salve to your irritated skin is all. After that it was dinner, we talked, you ... well ... tried to get me to cuddle and I politely refused," Thomas explains in his annoyingly calm sort of way. "As for what is poking you, you insisted on sleeping with your silver sword close. You're probably sitting on it."
"The salve.." Agatha says, as she reaches back and moves the sword. "Did you rub it all over my.. uh.. and kiss.. everything?" she practically sputters.
Thomas' shrugs. "Well, Ahearn wasn't around to do it," he answers.
"Ha, ha," Agatha grumbles. "What about washing in the rain? Did that happen?"
"Yep. You washed my back. Why?" Thomas asks.
"Just.. figuring out what was real and what was fantasy," Agatha mutters. "You didn't take advantage of either situation. Thank you. And.. I apologize for probably driving to frustration with all of that."
"Fantasy? Just what did you fantasize about?" Thomas aks, now grinning impishly.
"That cream was way too tingly," Agatha notes. "And I can't trust Muirenn at all around you. And you haven't forgiven me yet."
Thomas crosses his arms and arches his brow. "What is wrong with me that you feel you can't trust her?" he asks.
"Wrong with you?" Agatha asks, leaning forward to put her hands on Tom's chest. "It's her! She's... practically... wanton!"
"And you don't think I can't keep her in check? Or is it you don't trust me?" Thomas asks next.
"You didn't do anything, even though I'd have let you do anything you wanted to me last night," Agatha notes. "I think it's pretty clear that I do trust you. I mean, I'm sure you enjoyed every moment of it, but you did... keep her in check, as you put it."
"It's not about what I want, it's about what you want and I well know you have issues in dealing with things," Thomas says, "So, it's my duty to get you to integrate better with her and reach a compromise. I can't have you flip-flopping personalities all the time!" He then reaches up and grabs Agatha's nose lightly and shakes her head side to side, adding, "And yes, it was flattering, but you're more important as a friend then experimenting in old memories and bizarre fantasies. I'm sure there is plenty enough time for that ... later." He grins.
"Hney!" Agatha whines as her nose is pinched. She grabs for Tom's hands, which knocks the blanket off again. "At least you were tempted though right?" she asks, fishing for compliments.
Thomas just looks at Agatha, neither confirming nor denying the question.
"So, I guess it doesn't matter if I'm naked around you then," she notes, then leans forward and stretches out to grab at her pack, nearly poking Tom in the eyes with her anatomy before she snags her target and drags it over.
Thomas takes the chance to grab Agatha gently behind her neck. He pulls the red-head back to look him directly in the eyes and before she can react, he kisses her right on the lips.
Agatha is surprised, but relaxes quickly and kisses back. Whatever she was doing doesn't seem so important now.
Tom holds that kiss for about a minute before letting her go. "Look, I know things are weird sometimes," he says quietly, "But please don't get mad about it. She's just happy to have a second chance to live. Nothing will happen beyond anything that already has unless you want it as much as her. I'm not about to get us both in trouble. Not to mention you have enough issues with having to play dress up. So ... listen to your elder already." He then waggles his brow and lightly bites her nose tip.
The girl actually giggles at the bite. "Okay, deal," she says, and finally climbs off of Tom. "And.. well, you must have kissed me a hundred times last night in every intimate spot I've got, but that one just now was the best of all."
"Last night wasn't much different than to chew off the seaweed that once captured you. That tasted pretty bad too," Thomas quips and throws the blanket over Agatha's head as he finally sits up. "If you want to know the absolute truth about it, when it's being done for well, medical reasons ... it's not that exciting."
"But ... I can't complain about seeing you naked, either," Thomas just has to add.
"Oh?" Agatha claims from under the blanket. "Well, next time we'll skip the cream then. Can you find my lamp? And my shoulder straps didn't come undone by themselves, now did they?"
"No, the straps were revenge for laying on me all night. It was either that or tying your hands in your own hair and spending the morning tickling you," Thomas claims as he looks around for Agatha's lamp. Once he finds it, he sticks it under the blanket. "And you know ... I doubt she would be so hard to control if you didn't have repressed feelings about me, yourself..."
"Oh, is that it, Dr. Freud?" Agatha says. A moment later, her head and the now-lit lamp emerge from the blanket. "Push my pack over this way. You mentioned playing dress up, and since we were going into Ides I figured this would be a good time. You can always use a glamour to disguise yourself, but I need to do it the hard way."
"And by the way, it is good to see you again, Ruadhain," Thomas teases as he pushes her pack under the blanket too. "Why don't you wear a nice harem disguise. I can be a sheik..."
"I have something less conspicuous packed," Redmane claims from under the blanket. And arm emerges to throw her nightgown and underwear at Thomas.
Thomas catches the underwear and comments, "You know, I bet we could get some good gold for Redmae's delicate underthings in the right shop..."
"Like anyone would believe I wore delicate underthings," Redmane quips. "Everyone knows that Countess Redmane eats dragon bones and has metal skin."
"Not everyone," Thomas points out and pokes the blanket. "And for a woman with metal skin, I quite remember Redmane as rather vulnerable in her early time. It's why I'm glad Sir Bravil helped look after you when I couldn't."
The head pops out again from the blankets, this time with her hair loose and a green scarf covering her forehead. The rest of Redmane emerges next. She's wearing a light tan blouse, green bodice and brown dress. Both the bodice and dress have a falling-leaf motif embroidered into them, and there's been quite a bit of tailoring done to make the normally lean and stretched-out looking girl look wide-hipped. "Behold! A traveling maid of September!" she claims.
"Great! I've always wanted a maid. You can wash my socks," Thomas declares as he finally rolls to his feet and goes to his own gear. He fishes out a new shirt and pants ... and in true male style, he gives the shirt a sniff-check before putting it on.
"Since you're the glamour master, you can carry the pack into town this time," Redmane offers. "Wouldn't do to have a girl lugging a 60-lb. load on her back. I can carry your stuff."
"An intelligent traveler wouldn't bring a sixty pound pack," Thomas quips as he finishes dressing and runs his hands through his hair to comb it a bit. "And I have a question for you..."
"We can claim to be on our honeymoon," Redmane says. "What's the question?"
"Did you ever realize that Sir Bravil ... liked you?" Thomas asks as he repacks his supplies for Redmane to carry. "And oh, you still have to carry your steel sword. I can't touch it."
"I'll carry that," Agatha says, taking the cloth-wrapped bundle. She pauses for a moment, and then asks, "Liked? You mean, seriously liked?"
"Yes. He was a good friend of mine and we talked, you know," Thomas notes as he finishes and goes to make sure Agatha's stuff is packed properly. "But, before you get upset about it, he was also glad that I was the one you liked. He said you needed someone less serious in your life than another knight. Better balance."
"I'm glad you didn't tell me about it back then," Agatha says, and digs deep into her pack for a moment. "You don't want to go into battle with folks you're emotionally attached too. It was hard enough on us all during that first war against Jack." She finally pulls out a small metal tin. It's khaki green, with "U.S. Army" stenciled in black on the top. "Here, you should keep this from now on," she says, offering it to Thomas.
"The battles that occurred off the fields that I dealt with during that war were not pleasant, no. I lost a lot of good friends," Thomas commends a bit grimly. As the metal tin is passed to him, his brow goes up. "What is it?" he asks.
Redmane doesn't answer, as she busy flapping the blankets in the air and snapping them to shake out any vermin that may have snuck in during the night.
Thomas tries to open the small tin to see what is inside.
The lid pops as it comes off, revealing a cache of small foil squares, silver with the same U.S. Army stencil on them. They also each have a raised circular ridge in the middle, where the foil is tightest around the contents.
Thomas snorts and closes the container. He shakes his head and stows it away. "You really thought something might happen, then," he comments.
"There's a reason I didn't want to take the winter route to December," Agatha notes, as she rolls up the bedclothes. "Too many memories. And memories like that are what get Muirenn all worked up. But there won't be any escaping the memories at our destination, and if history - or is it legend? - repeats itself, I want to be prepared."
"Do you think of them as bad memories?" Thomas asks in a moment of unusual honesty. "And if you're worried, are you sure we should even go?"
"Muirenn's bad memories are all from before that time.. or after it," Redmane notes, and then turns and smiles at Thomas. "But right then, she was actually happy after things worked out between December and the wolves. And her and Thomas."
"Barring all the pain of being beaten, bones snapped and shifted, and all that," Thomas says, waves his hands, and grins. "Those good times are what often kept me going towards the end. Muirenn was as much as anything, a reason to stop Jack."
"Really?" Redmane asks, still grinning. Then she says, "Let's get a move on before the sun gets too high and the heat comes back. I'd really like a nice big country breakfast in town, wouldn't you?"
"She was also what killed me in the end, too," Thomas adds, then completely shifts topics. "Oh, yes, Breakfast would be great. Much better than boiled rat." He hefts Agatha's pack onto his shoulders and heads towards the stairs. With each step, the air around him shimmers a bit more ... and y the time he reaches them and looks back, Redmane finds herself looking at a red-headed fey man, complete with slightly pointed ears. And of course he just has to say, "C'mon, wench!"
The air that morning is cool and crisp, with a little bit of ozone left over from the night's thunderstorm. The sky is clear now, and the ground not too muddy for the hike into town. Ides is a bustling, walled town with six wide gates and lots of traffic, both on foot and by cart. It doesn't take long to find the tavern though.
A few minstrels play quietly near one of the three big hearths in the tavern, while glass-bodied servers glide between the tables with heavily laden trays. So far, it seems that most of the locals are either of the glass-body type or else human looking with raccoon-like markings on their skins and big fluffy striped tails.
"Would you young folks care for a table, a booth or to sit at the bar?" a tall glass-man asks, the fireplace behind him making him look like he's made of burning ice.
Agatha defers to Thomas, since he is, after all, the man.
Thomas looks momentarily smug about it too. "The bar, my fine fellow," he answers, "Best place in the world to meet people and hear news."
As the man leads them to the bar, Agatha whispers to Thomas, "This is the biggest restaurant I've ever been in. It's even got chandeliers!" Granted, they are wagon-wheel chandeliers with fat, drippy candles on them, but chandeliers nonetheless.
"Either that, or they had one really bad cart accident in here," Thomas can't help but whisper to her and nudge her. To their escort, he asks, "We're just traveling through these parts, so I hope the roads and land have been quiet lately? No strange disappearances, bandit raids, or unusual weather to worry about?"
"Had a storm last night, but who can say what the weather will do nowadays," the man says, bringing them to two empty stools at the curved bar. "Spring is moving so fast. You two were probably just babies when the last Spring rolled around. And now that every day is a true Day, or nearly so, Fall will be on us before you know it! Will take getting used to, it will. Older folks don't seem to care for the new way of things, but then they like to complain."
Thomas resists the urge to comment on how many Springs he lived through when they were under the old system. As he sits down, he does comment, though, "Change is good. Brings fresh life. Inspires new adventure. Might even help foster better relationships between Houses. Who knows?"
"Well.. hard for them to dominate a season when it goes by in the blink of an eye, that's for sure," the man says with a nod. "I'll leave you two young'uns in Bloodberry's care," he says. "She'll get you whatever you crave!" He then gives Thomas a hearty pat on the back, and returns to the entrance to great the next arrivals.
"That name would fit better in a vampire bar," Thomas whispers to Redmane. He sits back in the chair and spreads his arms as he leans, draping them over the bar-rail behind him. As he does so, his eyes sweep over the room, taking note on how many are here and what possible house affiliations are represented.
Aside from the locals, there are people with the look of February and April, and even a few that could be January. Most of the mix is harder to place, either because their dress is plainer or they're the types found in lots of places. There are even a few fox-people, including the minstrels. Something also pinches Thomas on the behind.
"Ey'," Thomas grumbles as he turns around to see just what pinched him. "Hands off my tail!"
The stool to Tom's right is empty, and at his left sits Redmane, with her hands clasped together in her lap and an expression of forced innocence on her face. "Something the matter, dear?" she asks.
"Yes. A certain evil woman seems to be grabbing my virtue," Thomas quips and then lightly flicks her nose. "Enjoying yourself, are we?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Redmane claims. "Must have been one of those butt-pinching gnomes you hear about."
"Ain't no gnomes here," claims a somewhat saggy-looking glass-woman behind the bar. She's old enough that she's gone cloudy inside. "We haves dogs to keep 'em out. Now, what'll be your pleasure, lass and laddy?"
"You mean your sister?" Thomas counters to Redmane and grins. He spins his chair back around and rests his elbows on the bar. He suddenly peers at the glass-woman intently for a moment as if he almost recognizes her, but settles back quickly enough. "Oh, just something simple and filling, but not to heavy this morning. Got a long trip ahead of us. Trying to see as many lands as we can in thirty days in celebration of our recent wedding." He holds up his hand and waggles his fingers ... and sure enough, he's wearing a ring.
Redmane blushes and giggles, slouching a bit.
"Oh, well, we got omelets, eggs, taters, grits, hash, sausage, steak, ham, hotcakes, toast, biscuits 'n gravy, oatmeal, fried slice, bubble 'n squeak, and other stuff what slips my mind. To drink we gots apple-squeeze, cider, hot cider, bark tea, ginger brew, small beer, milk and our own cream-swirly sarsaparilla. Apple pie and cranberry muffins too if you like," Bloodberry rattles off.
"Ah, well, some hot cider, hash, toast, and hotcakes would be just grand," Thomas says with a smile. A quick glance to Redmane and he asks, "How about you, dear?"
"Well.. hot cider, taters, ham and two fried eggs will do me well," Redmane answers.
Bloodberry nods, then turns and yells some incomprehensible code into the kitchen. "Be right back with yer toddies," she says, and moves down the bar a bit to where the hot drinks are simmering.
"And before you go ... hear any juicy rumors lately?" Thomas asks as he leans in a bit. "There has to be a few good stories around here!"
Tom snaps his fingers. "Missed," he complains.
"Juicy rumors?" Redmane has to ask Thomas, with an eye raised.
Thomas shrugs! "People like to gossip," he says.
"Oh, lots o' them!" Bloodberry notes as she returns with two mugs of hot cider. She wipes her hands on her apron, and asks, "You don't seem local, so I guess you ain't wanting to hear the local tales then, eh?"
"Oh, I'm open for any. Nothing says local tales have to be dull," Thomas quips. "But if the non-locals are more interesting, well ... we'd just love to hear them."
The old woman nods past the pair's shoulders to the folks from February. "Well, big to-do brewing up in Valenti, over in yonder February. But then, I imagine that's where you two newlyweds are heading anyway, eh?" she says with an exaggerated wink. "'Round here, old Tuftears McGarrity's prize cow gave birth to a pig, people say. An omen of how nature's all out o' whack now with the proper Cycle o' the Year broken and no new King on the throne. Although I also hear the pig was really good eatin'."
Thomas does an amazingly good job of keeping a straight face and just nodding along as the woman tells her stories. "Surely most people are happy with the change of the seasons and the year," he comments, "It helps keep everything better balanced, after all."
"Hmmph, everything was fine before," Bloodberry claims. "Seasons coming faster just makes a body feel like they's aging faster. And Gint the Younger says a bugbear came out o' the woods a few days back, scared his cows so bad they only give curdled milk now and will only eat apples. Bad omens, all around. Only a matter of time before someone gets born with a badger tail or a duck bill, mark my words."
"A bugbear?" Redmane asks. "Where is this Gint the Younger's pasture?"
"S'not what I hear the returned heroes said at the great celebration said about the shift in the seasons. You don't trust to their wisdom?" Thomas asks.
"Ah, pretty thing like you shouldn't be worrying about monsters," Bloodberry says. "You got yer man her to watch out for you now! And what's this about wisdom? They was a bunch of kids, I heard. What do kids know about anything? I seen nearly four full Cycles in my time. I don't see how this change will be better. Just makes everything faster. World's too fast as it is, you ask me. Wisdom!"
"Some of those kids I hear lived through more than five Cycles alone," Thomas points out, then shrugs. "And aww, please tell us about the bugbear? We would just love to see one of the local monsters. It would be exciting!"
"It were probably a normal bear, or Gint left the milk out in the sun is making excuses," Bloodberry admits. "Used to be we'd huddle indoors and bar the doors at night against the dark.. but now the town never goes to sleep. Bah! Just asking for trouble. Mark me, we let our guard down and something really bad will come along and make us suffer for it! Wouldn't be surprised if a flock of wyverns or dragons showed up."
"Terror," Agatha corrects. "It's a terror of dragons, not a flock."
"A flockin' terror then," Bloodberry says, giving Agatha a stern look that broadcasts 'young people shouldn't contradict their elders'. The cook calls out, and the woman excuses herself to fetch their meals.
Thomas elbows Agatha. "You're going to blow cover. I'm sure I can find Gint's farm if you really want to check," he whispers.
"Mmm, gossip," Redmane says, waggling her eyebrows at Thomas. "She probably thinks the Hawks are the King's secret police. If there's really a bugbear, March has knights of its own to deal with it."
"I can always ask about the Hawks," Thomas quips, "And, in fact, I will. And since when do you leave monster hunting to others?"
"When there's no actual monster," Agatha says. "We can swing by though, since we're following the woods anyway. I'm curious about this 'to do' in February now."
Bloodberry returns with two brass plates laden with food. Apparently 'light' here means 'can fit onto one plate', regardless of how high it's piled up.
"Valentine's day. A party for lots of kissing and other stuff," Thomas offers and shrugs. "And I feel the urge to cause chaos coming on..." He abruptly changes topics and smiles to their waitress again. "Oh, I also heard that the Hawks were expanding across the lands again. Seen many pass through?"
"The who?" Bloodberry asks, looking confused. "Hawks you say? Ain't heard of no bird attacks.."
"The Golden Hawks," Thomas clarifies. "Explorer types, I hear."
"Never heard of them," Bloodberry claims. "What House they with?"
Redmane hides a grin by drinking some of her cider.. which causes her to cough when she finds out it's hard cider.
"None, supposedly. They operate independently and have members from most houses," Thomas clarifies.
"Well, if they've been coming 'round here, they ain't said who they were," Bloodberry notes. "Sound like trouble though, a big group o' outcasts. Bandits?"
"Oh no. They deal with issues that affect the entire kingdom. Usually serve the King directly, I hear. Tend to be a bit opinionated on matters, if the rumors are accurate. Lead by a guy named Thomas. Lots of stories about him about," Thomas remarks and takes a drink from his own cup. He doesn't cough.
"Huh, King's own little army o' spies then?" Bloodberry asks. "Sounds right."
"Sounds like you don't approve," Thomas notes.
"King that'd turn the world upside down could do anything, I reckon," the old woman says. "'Scuse me, luvs, getting the high-sign from down the bar," she notes, then waves to another customer and shuffles along.
"This ham is really good," Agatha says. "I think it's honey-cured."
"Probably her husband, cooked," Thomas comments under his breath and begins eating. "People really don't appreciate the things we've endured for them," he grumbles with his mouth full.
"They didn't see any of it," Redmane notes. "Maybe you should have Minstrel Sam come around and clear things up," she suggests. "Of course.. they'll probably think Hannah saved the world then."
"I wonder why I put up with you," Thomas grumbles further and continues eating.
"Because you get to see me naked," Redmane notes, just before popping some fried potatoes into her mouth and snapping her teeth.
"And you think that's enough to satisfy me?" Thomas counters, rolls up one of his hotcakes, and eats it like a sausage.
"No, it's enough to put up with though," Redmane claims. "Besides, I'll pay for breakfast."
"Pah, you only say that because you're carrying my pack and it's just my money anyway," Thomas laughs and waves a fork at her, "Don't think I didn't forget!"
"You're the man, you pay with the money you're carrying," Redmane notes. "Which is mine. Anyway, what do you want to do after breakfast? Hit the road again? And I think we should go to that festival in February. They might have carnival games."
"All their games will involve romance and a couple being ... cute together," Thomas claims, "Are you sure you want to go?"
"What, don't think you're up to the challenge?" Redmane teases. "And what's wrong with being romantic? I'm sure Tristan is composing poetry and stuff for Hannah right now."
"I've already proven I'm romantic," Thomas claims, "It sounds like you don't believe I am!"
"Romantic?" Redmane asks, eyebrows raised. "You mean that stuff you said while you were licking me last night?"
Thomas doesn't even dignify that with an answer. He seems very interested in his hash right now.
"It was sweet though," Redmane admits. "But.. you never did dance with me, I think, did you? We won't have to do anything mushy. Just a dance or two?"
"So ... you really want to have an actual date with me?" Thomas asks, brow arched. "Even if it means that other things might happen in December?"
"Hey, I'd hate for stuff to happen and we never even had a date first," Redmane notes. "I mean, it's not like before. We aren't both lonely and desperate. Besides, there might not be any monsters or bandits to entertain us along the way."
"Nothing says fun like near death experiences," Thomas says in a near laugh. He downs the remainder of his cider in one gulp (still not coughing, though he does hiccup once). "Sure, why not?"
"Really?" Redmane asks, perking up. "That's not just the cider talking?"
"You know, if you have wanted to ask me out, you didn't have to try and be all subtle about it," Thomas teases.
"Hey, Muirenn took the initiative last time around," Redmane notes, gesturing with her fork. "So it's your turn now."
"Yes, but I didn't being a club to bonk you with and a leopard skin tunic to wear," Thomas jokes.
"Oh, you're the master of improvisation though," Redmane notes with a grin. "Besides, I know you want us to turn into wolves again so you'll be the bigger one and then chase me around."
"Aroo," quotes Thomas and grins right back. He digs into the pack and produces some coin to pay for the meal. "Lets take a quick tour of the town, then head back on the road. We'll check out Gint's farm along the way."
"Okay, dear husband," Redmane says, and finishes her own cider in less dramatic fashion. "And maybe we can find a decent bathroom too. It's not just beds and baths I look forward too, you know."
"I'm sure we can find you a nice pot," Thomas says as he sets the coin down and signals Bloodberry to come collect. As he slides out of his chair, he takes a moment to stretch.
Pinch
And with a sigh, Thomas adds, "And maybe some really thick mittens since you can't seem to control your hands! Really. What would the others say?" He shakes his head and laughs.
"What?" Redmane asks, as something small, blue and pixie-ish runs between Thomas' legs and vanishes under a table. Redmane finally stands up from her stool and puts her arm through Thomas'. "My hands are fine," she claims. "The cider wasn't that hard to make them shake or anything..."
Laughing, Thomas heads towards the door. "Come on, dear, the days sliding by and there is so much more to do!" he announces.