After a refreshing nap in one of Igor's hammocks, Aviri rejoins Linyala and Trilup in the main hall of the castle, where Lin seems satisfied with her cleaned (and slightly shrunken) captain's hat. "It still needs a plume," Trilup notes. Igor seems to agree by nodding his head. At least, it's mostly a nod, with a bit of a wobble.
Lin adjusts the hat so it's a little off to one side and grins. "Thank'ee Igor!" She reaches for her pack and adds, "If'n ye'd be so kind, I fergot my blanket back home. D'yya have one I could 'ave?"
"Doeth it need to be waterproof?" Igor asks.
"That'd be great!" Lin chirps.
"I may have jutht the thing then down in the morgue," the hunchback notes, and shuffles off down the hallway.
Aviri yawns absently. "We have tents? Pots, pans, soap, beds, firestarter, and an axe? Food, too?"
"Wassa tent?" Trilup asks.
"Portable shelter," Aviri says. "How can you ... nevermind. It keeps you dry at night."
"Like a barge? For on land?" the younger otter asks.
"Souns complicated." Lin muses, "D'ya gotta put it all together every night or is't like a waggon?"
Aviri tilts his head at her. "Like a ...? It's a bunch of waterproof fabric and supports that you set up. Folds down so you can carry it with you."
"Oh, like a lean-to or blanket-on-sticks?" Trilup asks, thinking she has it figured out.
"Maybe...?" Aviri says. "It's a tent. We obviously don't have any. What about pots and pans, or soap, or bedstuffs or firestarter or an axe or food?"
"Lin has soap and tinder," Trilup claims. "I've got lots of dried fish."
"An a few other things for notes, maps, stayin' clean, and a lantern." Lin adds.
"I've got matches too," Trilup notes. "And a blanket."
"So, what were you planning on eating during this trip?" Aviri asks.
Speaking of blankets, Igor shambles back in, carrying a black cloth. "Here you go," he sprays. "It'th rubberized on one thide, thee? In cathe the corpthe ith an oozer."
Lin hops up and hugs Igor. "Thank'ee! So it's good fer keepin ya dry while sleepin' and ya kin use it fer goopy bodies? Awesome!"
"Do you have tents we could use? Two or three? And a pot? And ..." He looks around. "A non-corpse blanket for me?"
"Our potth are pretty heavy," Igor notes. "How about a big theramic mug? We've got lotth of regular blanketth.. no tentth, but there are tarpth."
Aviri bites a lip. "How big is the mug? And the tarps?"
"It'th for thoup," Igor says, holding his hands out to indicate something the size of a deep bowl. Which it likely is, just with a handle or two on the side.
"Gonna need something bigger," Aviri says. "For cooking for three. And do you have a pack I could use, too? And a few tarps, and ...." He stutters, then stops, suddenly looking sheepish. "Er ... if it's not too much trouble," he says.
Meanwhile, Linyala dumps out her pack on the chair to reorganize everything and tie the rolled up blanket along the bottom with the waterproof part facing out so she can flip it over the pack to keep thw whole thing covered if necessary.
"The Doctor hath a flying pack, but that probably won't fit you," Igor notes. "Ath for cooking.. do you need to? Fireth attract attention."
"We can cook stuff on sticks," Trilup offers.
Aviri looks at the others. "Is ... everyone likes soup, right?" He turns back to igor. "How about a pan? Or ... a pan?"
"Soup's good," Lin chirps, "fish is good, I ain't too picky."
"The more thtuff you carry, the more food you need," Igor points out. "Tentth are fine when it rainth, but that'th altho time thpent on thetting them up and taking them down that could be uthed for walking. I've got thome dried vegetableth that might travel well, and can make thome thoup mix tho you jutht add water. A kettle could be uthed to heat the water.. a thmall one."
"Could uthe it for hot thereal too," Igor adds, and shudders. "Oatmeal.."
"Right," Aviri says, contemplating. "Makes sense. You have oatmeal? That'd be fantastic! Er ... right. Would be nice to have a couple tarps all the same, just in case. And a blanket, please?"
"He'll look like a mountain with all that gear." Lin whispers to Trilup.
"Give me a few minuteth, I'll thee what I can cobble up," Igor notes, and shuffles off again.
"But he's big already," Trilup notes. "Probably strong!" Turning to the Lapi, she holds out her arms and says, "Hey, Aviri, see if you can pick me up!"
Aviri looks to Lin. "You'll carry one of the tarps," he decides. "It's better to have too much gear than not enough." He looks to Trilup. "Er ... I'm good, thanks," he says.
"Meany." Lin sticks her tongue out at Aviri.
Trilup pouts a bit. She likes being picked up. "So... once we have all our junk, do we just head to Trollhaven? Do we need to get anything else in town?"
"You two're my assignment so I won't be missinn anything. Said bye to the folks an' left my room alright. I'm good!" Lin chirps and cinches her pack shut.
Aviri looks to Linyala. "How long'll the trip take? What are we passing through?"
Lin unrolls her map on the floor. "First stop is Trollhaven." She points at the town, "That'll take us around a day if we keep up a good pace 'long the west road. All told it'll be 'bout ten days if all goes well." She traces the road back from Trollhaven to Dontgointhe Castle. "There're rivers 'an' another town as well but those are days off. Just gotta get ta Trollhaven an get on the riverboat."
"I hear Trollhaven is pretty big. And they have a statue," Trilup says. Of course, Stonebarrow has a statue in the fountain square too.
"Hmm," Aviri says. "Okay, then we might be prepared enough here to not require ..." he stops, takes a breath. "We'll probably not need to go back into town," he says.
Igor returns again, carrying a sack and blanket. "Dried goodth, thome hardtack, thpoonth, leather bowlth and a kettle here," he says, offering the sack. "Blanket and thome tight-bound tarpth here." The tarps are folded into bricks, so may not be all that large. The blanket is quilted.
Aviri accepts the items. "Thank you very much, Igor," he says.
"I'd like ath much of it back ath pothible," Igor notes.
Aviri nods. "I'll ... we'll replace everything we lose or destroy," he says, looking toward Linyala and Trilup.
"What'chya lookin' at me for?" Lin asks as she rolls up the map, "I asked for one thing if he could spare it."
"I'm looking at you," says the Lapi, "because I'm not going to be the one breaking anything." He puts the sack into his satchel and places the bricked tarps on top; the satchel's pretty full, now. He holds the blanket over an arm. "Clover wanted me to have a few words with Parsley before we left," he says.
"Gotta tell her you're going on a trip?" Trilup asks.
Aviri nods noncommittally.
"Are you leaving today then?" Igor asks.
"If we leave t'day we'll either be arivin' really late at Trollhaven or have ta sleep on the way there." Lin notes, "I'm alright with that but if'n ya need more time in's not like we're workin' to a deadline."
"That's my thoughts exactly," Aviri says. "Does ... Silv have any objections?"
"I could tell you ghost stories if you camped out overnight," the ghost offers (although again, Igor doesn't seem to hear her).
One of Aviri's ears twitches a bit. "You could tell a normal story and it'd still be a 'ghost story'," he muses.
Lin elbows Trilup, "That sounds fun!"
"I know lots of stories that will keep you up all night!" Silv claims.
"I'm sure there'll be time on the trip for stories," Aviri says. "I think we should start in the morning, though. Give ourselves a nice buffer for ... happenings."
"And we can sneak out before dawn!" Trilup says. "Or ask if there are any wagons already going that way."
"If we got a waggon it's mean we'd get ta Trollhaven closer to lunch. We could get the riverboat tha same day!" Lin bounces excitedly.
"Sounds good," Aviri says. "Thanks for the hospitality, Igor! I very much ... thanks."
"Anytime, Marthter Aviri," Igor says. "We enjoy having guethtththth here at the cathtle."
The lapi starts for the door. "I'll keep that in mind, whenever I feel the need for socializing."
"Which means he'll be back in a year probably," Trilup notes, hurrying to catch up. "Are we staying the Adventure Cabin tonight then?"
"Ave you going to fiddle with that box at all?" Aviri asks.
"Oh right, I forgot about the box!" Trilup says. "I think we have to wait another day before we can though."
"Then sure, let's stay in my cabin." He opens the door and allows the otters to leave.
Lin pulls the item in question from her pack. "I'd like ta find out what really happens if ya make it do somethin' twice in a day. But if it cuold bring 'bout th'end o' the world as we know it..." She turns and waves at Igor, "Thank's again!"
"Pleathe be careful out there," Igor says, before closing the door to the castle behind them with an ominous creak and thump.
"Hope to ... see you soon," Aviri says to the door. He turns and catches up with the otters. "Right, no fiddling with the box. Or ... since that's pointless to say, just do it somewhere not in my cabin, got it?"
"Don't you want to see Lin get devoured by a demon though?" Trilup asks. Given the time, Parsley might be in town delivering or picking up food.
"So long as it doesn't distrub me, fine," Aviri says, though his tone might indicate it was a joke.
Lin blanches and peers at the box. "Ya don't think it could 'ave demons or really bad stuff in it? All it's done so far is run around a bit an fill the cabin with vanishin' blood."
"And that's all I need to know to say no fiddling in my cabin," Aviri says. "Seriously. Else you can buy your own cabin."
"I don't have any money..." Lin mumbles and puts the box back in her bag.
Aviri doesn't say anything, but does smirk a bit as he walks toward the town. "So, what'll you two do while I'm finding Parsley?"
"Food?" Lin looks at trilup. "If we're gonna be near town we could prolly swipe a pie. Maybe even a fish pie."
Aviri closes his eyes and pulls on an ear, muttering something to himself.
"I like pie!" Trilup says. "And cake! And pie-cake!"
There's more traffic along the road this time of day, including a hay wagon being pulled by Pretzle, the puzzle-horned, cross-eyed Rughrat. As usual, the driver is Ducky the Skeek, since he's the only one that seems to be able to tolerate Pretzel's infamous flatulence.
"Should we find out if they're taking that to Trollhaven?" Trilup asks Aviri and Lin. "Or, like.. hop on and ride it into town?"
"You can," Aviri says. "I'm good walking."
Lin wrinkles her nose. "Not that wagon, anything but that wagon. We'd smell like Rughrat for days." She shudders. "But we should ask if he knows anyone else goin ta Trollhaven t'morrow."
The lapi mages a gesture like, 'Be my guest', but keeps walking toward the town.
"You ask him, Lin, you're taller," Trilup suggests.
"Hey Ducky! Duuucky!" Lin calls and runs to catch up. "Hi. D'ya know anyone heading ta Trollhaven t'morrow with room few three?
"Quack?" Ducky responds. Then shakes his head, saying 'quack' again.. but follows by nodding his head and quacking some more, this time with a bit of hand gesticulation.
Aviri's head turns to track the wagon and driver, his ears almost lifting right off his body, as if Ducky's some curiosity he needs to observe.
Lin scrunches her face. "So there isn't anyone leavin' t'morrow but there's someone who is and'll have room later?" She asks.
Ducky looks at Lin in confusion, as that question might be a little too complex for him to parse through. "Quack?" he asks, followed by a loud 'frrrrrrrt!' from Pretzel that curls Lin's whiskers.
Lin's fur stands straight out and she goes stiff. "Uuuuughgg." She gurgles.
Aviri takes a few steps away from the wagon, his ears dropping back down.
"You'd better roll around in some dead fish later," Trilup offers.
Lin pats her fur back down. "Bath before sleeping tonight. Lots of soap... And fish." She promises herself.
"Roll in fish outside the cabin, please," Aviri says.
"The cabin is right next to the swamp," Trilup points out. "Makes the plummin simpler, I hear. Let's just go around the wagon, Aviri. Lin can get to know her new boyfriend without us watchin' her then!"
Aviri looks at Trilup, smiles, and follows her around the wagon.
Lin mimes gagging at Trillup and runs to take another shot at communicating.
"Hello again Ducky." She gets ahead of the Rhugrat and off to the side to try to keep upwind of any future emissions. "I'll go one thing at a time. D'ya know anyone headin' ta trollhaven t'morrow?"
Ducky scratches at his cheek in thought, then chews on the tip of his tail a bit. He nods, but his quack sounds a bit uncertain as he looks at Lin.
"Fair 'nuff." Lin chirps, "Well If'n there were, d'ya think they'd be takin a waggon that we could catch a ride on?"
This causes another bout of deep thinking on Ducky's part. He eventually points at Lin, and asks, "Quack?"
"I'm with them." Lin piontsup the road at Aviri and Trilup. "I think Aviri has some money if'n we need ta pay fer a ride."
The Skeek shakes his head, then points at Lin again before pointing vaguely west. "Quack?" he asks again.
"Ooh. We're makin' a delivery way past Trollhaven." Lin explains.
Ducky blinks, then nods. "Quack," he says, and points to Lin again. "Quack." Then he shakes his head and does not quack.
"So we're outta luck?" Lin asks.
The Skeek shrugs and smiles. "Quack quack.. quack!" he says.
"Well thanks!" Lin smiles, waves, and catches up with the others.
"So, what did you find out?" Trilup asks.
"I hope ya like walkin." Lin chirps, "Nothin we'd be able ta go with fer the next few days at least."
"More pie for me then!" Trilup claims!
"Oi, we're leaving in the morning," Aviri says. "Sonner we get there, sooner things can return to normal!"
Once they hit town, one of their first targets is already in sight: Parsley Chalk is sitting on the porch of the Frog & Peach tavern, eating a muffin.. and talking to Emmett Oggton.
Aviri brightens at the sight of Parsley and almost trots over toward her, slowing to ensure he's not interrupting anything.
"It'll be like history repeatin'," Emmett is telling Parsley. "'Cuz we came through Blackshire on the way here. It was more wet then, 'course."
Aviri stops, bolt upright. "Blackshire? Why would ... are you going to Blackshire?"
Lin nudges Trilup and gestures towards the market. "Lunch?" She suggests with a smirk.
"Are you buying?" Trilup asks Lin.
"Wasn't plannin' on it." Lin repplies with a wink.
"Oh, Aviri," Parsley says, waving him over. "Emmett was just telling me that you're going to Blackshire along with two of his cousins."
Aviri joins the pair. "Right ... yes, we are, apparently." He has a look as though it was news to him. "So ... er ... I met with Clover ..." His voice peters out. "She ... said something about chalk." He glances at Emmett.
"Oh.. you need some chalk?" Parsley asks.
"Don't you live in chalk?" Emmett asks.
"That would be nice," Aviri says. "It might come in handy."
Lin walks away towards the marketplace then doubles back and crouches behind a rain barrel to listen in on the conversation.
"You're staying at one of the cabins here, aren't you?" Parsley asks, ignoring Emmett for now. "I'll bring you some this evening."
Trilup whispers to Lin, "I couldn't think of a good lie so just told my folks the truth.."
"Thanks, Parsley!" Aviri says. "It really means a lot. And sorry to interrupt your conversation." He takes a few steps back, bobbing his head in a kind of bow.
"They've got fresh broccoli bread at the bakery," Parsley also notes, then turns back to Emmett. "And you have to stay here?"
"Well, it is a secret mission and all," Emmett notes, leaning back. "If I went, everyone'd know!"
"I just said I'd be away a while spyin' on you two." Lin whispers back and shrugs. "Alright, that didn't come ta much. More chalkey mysteriousnesses. Let's go get some pie."
Aviri walks toward the backery, lured by the promise of broccoli bread.