Nobody seems to remember just what happened after the net came down, other than that it was big enough to cover the entire square before the gates. There are a few things the Lapi and Akwavi all share from their forgotten experience: they have headaches, are completely naked.. and have shaved areas on their posteriors. All three also wake up at the same time.
For Aviri, not being able to remember something was strange. Worrying. He groans from the pain in his head, and again from the chill on his butt, and a third time when he notices his satchel isn't in the dungeon with them. "I swear, if they gave us non-compulsory pirate-tatoos...." he says as he contorts to check his rump for said markings.
Looking at your own butt is difficult, unless you're an otter with a longer, bendier spine at your disposal.
Lin blinks a couple times and rubs her eyes. The lack of apparel registers and she starts franticaly patting herself down, checking her neck and left arm where her knife sheath was. She groans and sits up. "Everyone okay?" She asks, looking around, "They've got Waddles, my lockpicks, and my knife."
"What did we drink?" Trilup groans as she struggles to awareness.
Aviri sighs and sits on the bench; if he couldn't see the potential tattoo, nobody would. "'M fine," he says with a little wave of his hand. Then, muttering, "For liberal definitions of the word 'fine'..."
"My butt is cold," Trilup complains, and rubs at the shaved spots. "What happened? I was getting some candy, and then.. uh.. I can't remember."
"And then a guard thought you were a pirate and took you here. Some creep in a robe accused us of being contaminated by something and Aviri of plottin' to kill the count or duke or somesuch leaderish type." Lin grumbles and twists around to see her shaved bottom.
Lin has a brief moment of dread when she sees a mark.. but it just looks like a birthmark. Trilup has spots on her skin that match the spots on her coat though.
Aviri puts his head in his hands and stares at his feet. "Probably some kind of magic-seer," he says, a bit of disgust in his voice at that. "Probably saw Silv's connection to us. And I'd say the assassination-plot was made-up to get us arrestable." He looks up. "Silv? You still around?"
"Ohhh," Trilup says. "Then I guess they'll let us go soon.."
There's no reply from their shared ghost.
"Could be a conspiracy thing too." Lin posits, "Make up an assination plot to arrest us, then try an' get us to help with somethin' that they can't handle internally. Also, I'm pretty sure Silver was hauntin' my hat and Trilup's horn. Now that those are gone, she prolly can't communicate with us." She picks at the side of one of the cots and says, "This looks like the same stuff Silv's jacket was made of. She said it reppels the undead. Kind of a zombie-proofing."
A panel in the door slides open for a moment, letting in a brief flash of light.. then closes. There are some sliding and bolting noises next, and the door opens. "Pleeze do not move," a feminine voice instructs, as a woman clad all in skin-tight black leather enters the room. She's got a whip at her side, and stiletto heels. Her black hair is pulled into a severe bun, and all the black makes her pale skin shine all the more, save for blood-red lips. The door slams behind her and she puts her gloved hands on her hips and looks at each prisoner in turn.
Aviri looks at the far wall, then the other walls, then the ceiling, and back to the floor with mild curiosity. "Or make up an 'sassination plot to get us killed...." he stops talking when the sounds start, and scoots deeper onto the bench when the dominatrix enters. His brow knits in confusion, and he offers a little wave. "H-hello...."
"Hmmm, I vas expecting you to be more.. imposing," the woman in black says. "I am Sheriff Lucretia, and that is how you vill address me. Ve have determined through examination und interrogation that you are not pirates."
Aviri's eyes go wide with realization at something. He shifts uncomfortably on the bench and gulps, nodding in acquiescence.
"So.. you're going to let us go then?" Trilup asks hopefully.
Lin rolls her eyes and says, "Brilliant deduction. Fer someone so familliar with silly get-ups, how long did it take you to figgure that out?"
Now it's Aviri's turn to roll his eyes. "Lin, can you not antagonize sheriffs? For once?"
"I've got problems with authority." Lin counters, crossing her arms and looking off to the side.
"A few minutes," Sheriff Lucretia replies, and arches an eyebrow at Linyala. "The rest, however, took longer. Zo, we put you to sleep. Just because you are not pirates does not make you a non-threat. You are from Stonebarrow. That iz the only other place with Akwavi and Lapi - and a high-level Spirit Mage of the Guild. Zo.. there is still the question ov whether you vere sent here by the Mages Guild to assassinate the Count."
Aviri blinks. "Spirit Mage...? Natasha?" He looks to the others, the Lapi having never thought that she was part of any guild. He shakes his head. "We're just taking a trip to a lake to get a thing that is a few decades late in being delivered. For the Necromancer War, which, if you don't know, is over now." He pauses, then adds: "Stonebarrow Delivery is very adamant about its reputation."
"Your reputation is that of mercenary killers and demon-led invaders," the sheriff claims. "And who is Natasha? Was it not Mage Qing of the Sphere of Spirit who created the Nullifier you carried?"
"We do that on the side." Lin says, dismisively. "There's an actual demand fer courriers. Ya haven't heard much out of Stonebarrow in a long while I reckon. That'd be because nobody's tried invading in a long time. They've learned better."
Aviri sighs at the 'mercentary killers' bit. He takes a breath, but then realizes he doesn't have the energy, nor the lack of headaches, to explain again the whole mercenary thing. Luckily for him, Lin does, and so he moves on: "The only thing that could be considered a 'Nullifier' is that horn-thing...? Is that what you mean?"
"A few years ago an entire battalion of Gallisian soldiers was decapitated while residing in the homes of the villagers they'd just conquered," Lucretia points out. "The Count has considered hiring you himself." To Aviri, she states, "The amulet you were wearing. Not the haunted trinkets. You three 'couriers' were in possession of a magical amulet that can utterly destroy the undead when triggered, a compass device with a permanent enchantment, and one of the legendary Zehn Golems. Still going to claim to be delivery minions?"
"Also one of your weapons gave Lance Corporal Smelt a nasty burn."
"Oh, that thing!" Aviri says, with the hope that he'd eventually get that returned to him. "I'm a botanist, and recieved that particular trinket as protection on a trip into the swamps. There's still a lot of necromantic energy there, and a few large undead things. I was allowed to keep it for this trip because, well, we're crossing some dangerous territory. It's saved my life twice, and our lives--" he gestures to the whole gorup "--at least once."
"How, if it has not been triggered?" Lucretia asks. "Our Mage confirmed that it is a single use spell."
"That reminds me." Lin pipes up, "Waddles is probably getting hungry now and it'll eat all my saussages from the festival if you don't give it back. They're really spicy saussages and I don't want Waddles to get indigestion." She whispers the last bit to the sherrif as though it's a big secret. "The compass is part of the delivery. We need that to complete it. We're courriers from Stonebarrow right? Makes sense we'd be a cut above your average postal worker."
That makes Aviri blink. "I didn't know that," he said. "Both swampy and the moss-monsters just fled from it like it was some kind of undead-repellant." He shrugs. "It did the trick. Honestly, I've absolutely zero intention of killing anyone, least of all your count. He's probably a nice guy. We just wanna get on with our delivery. I wouldn't've even brought that amulet up to the castle had not Trilup there been arrested. We were just trying to get her back so we could get out of town, and carry on. Move the amulet farther away from the Count."
"I vould like to know what it is you are delivering, exactly," the sheriff asks. "What is the purpose of the ghost? And is this Natasha you mentioned your employer?"
"Ever heard of client confidentiality?" Lin asks, "Of course, you could pay off the insurance they took out for the delivery an' keep the compas, but eight hundred thousand shekels and change with 70 someodd years of compound interest of a quarter... How about round down and call it your kingdom so we kin pay off that failed delivery and you kin keep the package?"
"For zome reason, I am reconsidering designating you in particular as a pirate," Lucretia notes to Linyala. "The bunny is more honest. Akwavi lie about everything."
Aviri snerks and rolls his eyes. It's some ... thing that was supposed to help in the Necromancer War. The ghost was the original deliverer, but she got killed mid-delivery. We stumbled upon her body during a foray into the swamps, and she got bound to us as a result. I'm assuming that's the 'contamination' the fellow at the gate mentioned. We're doing the delivery to release her from her bonds. Natasha could be considered our living employer. Silv--the ghost--is our dead employer."
Trilup bites her tongue to prevent her from commenting..
"The dead are usually dead broke, so you are likely doing this for.. some reason other than monetary reward?" Lucretia asks, focusing just on Aviri now.
Lin tosses her hands over her head. "You just lost us a kingdom of vampires and monster stuff, Aviri. You disapoint me." She turns away from him in mock disgust.
"Well ... yes," Aviri says, ignoring Lin's reply except for a little chuckle. "Firstly, to be nice to a dead lady. Second, because having a ghost follow you around is kind of annoying, especially for me, and I'd rather not have that. And thirdly, these two were gonna hurt themselves with the enchanted box that originally held the compass, and I had to make sure they didn't, like, get eaten by a tree on their way. Which almost happened anyway."
"If you'll remember it a little less in your weird, bunny ideal," Lin huffs, "I got us out of that tree thing with my awesome powers of improvised song-crafting."
"You are their chaperone?" Lucretia asks, and then reaches out and puts a hand on Aviri's shoulder. "I am so, so sorry for you. But, you are too dangerous to leave roaming through Tempest County, so we will give you transport in the direction your compass points until you are beyond our borders. Then you will be given your items and clothing back."
"More or less, yes," Aviri says with a chuckle. "It's not that bad. And thank you! That would be most kind of you. Much better than going alone." He beams at the otters. "Er, going a-trio," he corrects.
"And you are certain Mage Qing did not send you in this direction deliberately?" the sheriff asks.
"'Ve never even heard of 'Mage Qing'," Aviri says. He looks to Linyala.
"We'd be able to answer that a whole lot better if we knew who that was." Lin shrugs and, for the sake of passing on the question, looks at Trilup.
Lucretia looks suspicious again. "He is a white Naga," she says. "Who, precisely, gave you that amulet?"
"Not a Naga," Aviri says with a chuckle. "A gypsie khatta."
"Please describe this person," Lucretia says. "Every detail you can remember."
"She's scary," Trilup offers.
"And black." Lin adds.
"Name, age?" Lucretia prompts.
Aviri bursts into laughter at that order, managing to stop himself after a good 5 seconds. "Sorry, sorry," he says. "Alright...." He proceeds to give a description of Natasha, taking his time with every iota of detail from his brief visit with her in the wagon, from the design on her scarf to the way her eyes looked in the candles.
"And this person is a gypsy and not a Guild Mage?" the sheriff asks after noting things down.
"She lives in a gypsie camp, in a gypsie wagon," Aviri says with a shrug. He'd never thought to ask her whether she was with the guild. Seems so obvious in hindsight.
"And which tribe of gypsies is this?" Lucretia asks.
Lin, being off to the side of the sherrif and hopefully out of her field of view, shakes her head slightly at Aviri and waves her hand at him on her side that's away from the sherrif.
Aviri shrugs. "I didn't know gypsies came in tribes," he admits. "Look, I'm a botanist. I find and study plants. Sometimes they're in the swamp, sometimes in the forest, sometimes on a hill or something. Rarely are they around people. I had a friend who went into town for me. You want details about marrow-root, that I can give. Details on the specifics of people, and I'm not your Lapi."
Lucretia turns her attention to the Akwavi then. "Do either of you know the name of the gypsy tribe?" she asks. "You seem like the social sort."
Trilup was trying to figure out what Lin was flailing about, and looks guilty when the question is asked, as if she wasn't paying attention.
Lin bounces on the balls of her feet, looking excited to have something helpful to say. "I'm pretty sure they're called the Crimson Path tribe. Have you heard of them?" She chirps.
"I do not track gypsies," the sheriff notes, "unless they cause trouble. Please vait patiently." She knocks on the door, which opens for her, soon leaving the travelers to themselves again.
"How do you suppose she keeps the leather from squeaking every time she moves?" Trilup asks the others.
"I bet she oils it like crazy." Lin guesses, "That must be so uncomfortable too!"
The moment the door shuts Aviri hits his head. "You could take Waddles in exchange for our freedom!" he says in a voice not meant to leave the cell, his eyes twinkling at Lin. "Hopefully she learned to never ask me about all of the details of anything," he adds with a chuckle.
"How did you 'member all that, Aviri?" Trilup asks. "Is it magic?"
Aviri shrugs. "I just do. Helps with researching mosses. If I pay attention to something, I just remember."
Lin swats Aviri on the side of the head. "The gypsies are a part of the town now. You shouldn't go giving away that much information." Lin admonishes, "It could get people hurt."
"That why you made up that tribe name, Lin?" Trilup asks.
Aviri winces at the hit, but doesn't retaliate or anything as Lin seems right riled up about it. "What? Yes, they're a part of town. How does that ... hurt anything?"
"Yeah." Lin nods and glares at the door. "I've heard bits and pieces 'bout that whole deal with the last Necromancer we had an' it sounds like Natasha was right up in the thick of it. Gets me suspicious, that leather lady wanting to know about her."
"But.. Natasha isn't a Mage," Trilup points out. "She's a witch! Just like Isolde. So.. don't get on her bad side, or she'll turn you into a frog! Really! I saw her do that to this guy once!"
Aviri thinks on that. "Huh. Wonder if she wants the thing, then? I mean, if Eve doesn't." He chuckles at Trilup. "We'd best not get on her bad side, then! Though we could always go out and join Swampy and live rich, frogfull lives if it happened."
"Who was it?" Lin asks, "Did he get better? Being a frog would be weird. We kin get pretty grungy sometimes but I don't think I've ever gotten quite that slimy!"
"It was some guy," Trilup claims. "A rat.. Skreek. I think he was the dad of one of the gypsies or something. It was during a big raid on their camp.. lot of Scouts, and Gunther was there and I think a monster or something. There was smoke and yelling it was a lot of fun! And then Natasha turned the guy into a giant frog for a bit. Not long."
Aviri looks at the walls and ceiling again, the conversation about frogs losing his interest. "Wonder what it means," he mutters idly to himself. He leans over and runs his fingers along the edge of a circle carved into the floor.
"I heard about that." Lin nods, "I think I was skulkin' around the Frog and Peach then, keeping an ear out for any good blackmail material. I'm sorry I missed it if people were gettin' turned into frogs!"
"The carvings are probably witch-stuff," Trilup guesses. "To keep out ghosts, or keep us from talking to ghosts, or.. maybe it turns us into frogs? Or vampires! They said they have a Mage.. I bet they take people they want to use and turn them into vampires so they have to stay. Wow.. what if they need a botanist, Aviri!"
Aviri goes on to trace a triangle nearby. "I hope Silv's okay. Would be a shame if she were stuffed into a god-box or something. Kinda ruin the whole point of this." He stops and straightens back up. "That'd be a shame. I'd probably flee, though I couldn't go back home if I were vampirified. Maybe a quick stopover to give the amulet back."
"Why couldn't you go back home as a vampire?" Lin asks, "Would your clan kick you out and make it weird? Couldn't you eat woodland creatures that aren't rabbits?"
Aviri shrugs non-commitally. "Just don't think I'd be welcome, is all."
"I bet you could stay with the gypsies. They've got a vampire Eeee!" Lin claims.
"They do...," Aviri notes. "But they're Eeee. Not the undead kind of vampire."
The door is unbolted and opened again, but this time it's an Igor that enters. At least, it's a hunchbacked Skreek that looks hastily assembled. "Ith everyone ready to go?" he asks, smile-leering.
"Sure!" Lin chirps, "Let me just gather my things." She looks around and then back to the Igor, "Yep, all set."
Aviri stands and nods. "We don't get, like, sacks or anything to wear before we reach the border?"
"Oh.. you want to wear thomething?" Igor asks. "That could lead to heat throke though."
"Yes, a straight jacket for our friend the lapi here." Lin suggests amicably, nudging the Igor with an elbow.
"Well, it could be nice," Aviri says. "A bit of decency or something. Sheriff Lucretia wore clothes...."
"Hmmm," Igor mutters, then gestures for the three to follow him. Being naked does make it less likely that they'd try to escape after all.
Aviri follows with a diminutive sigh. Why would he try to escape anyway when he's about to be released and given all his stuff back? Escape would just make him not have his things!
Lin falls into step behind Aviri and starts whistling a jaunty, if obnoxious, tune.
The corridor the walk down is cold and dark, lit only by a few candle sconces. There's also dampness as they go deeper. "Thorry about your buttth but we had to be thure," Igor says along the way.
"It's fine," Aviri says, though he's not sure it is at all. "Hope we tasted good at least...."
"You know, we already had shaved patches on our tails from last time." Lin grumbles, feeling quite testy about loosing three patches of fur in one day.
"But pirateth have butt tattooth," Igor notes.
Aviri pauses, then resumes following. "Oh, right," he says, giving an I-told-you-so look to Linyala.
The otter spy blinks incredulously at the back of the Igor's head. She cups her face in her hands and shakes her head slowly, groaning.
They finally stop at a side door, which Igor opens to reveal stairs heading downwards. He pauses to light a lantern before leading the way. It's an odd direction for supposedly being let go.
Aviri hesitates at the top of the stairs, slightly befuddled. "Er, how high are we?" For all he knew castles could be dark and dank at their very tops.
"Above ground level," Igor claims. "We mutht get to the underground river."
"And carriage or cart technology is out of reach for just following in the direction of a compass?" Lin asks, "Or was Lucretia doing that thing where you make a promise and then fuffil it by doing pretty much the opposite of what the other person thought you meant? Like taking us in the direction of the compass until we're out of your territiry, all the way to an underground bottomless pit where you dump us and leave us to rot."
Aviri takes his word that they're above ground and starts down the stairs, though with more than a bit of trepidation. "Does the river go directly toward the compass? Or are we getting out somewhere near the general direction of the compass?"
"I thought quicklime was better than bottomless pits," Trilup adds.
"Yeah, but my version would be more effectively betraying the spirit of the promise by being overly literal. Your way is just... Burning us alive in boiling rock gunk." Lin counters.
"Eh? I don't know where you are going next," Igor notes. "You came down here in a thtupor from the Mind Magic, tho you can't go back out that way, becauthe it ith a thecret. You go out thith way, and then the Theriff pickth you up."
"Ah," is all Aviri says as he carefully follows down the steps.
"Blindfolds." Lin mutters to herself and rolls her eyes. "Why does it have to be so complicated?"
"Blindfoldth don't work on Eeee," Igor notes, and opens another door at the bottom of the stair. This time they can smell and hear the water, as they emerge onto an underground dock. But there aren't any boats - there are coffins instead.
Aviri halts at the sight of the coffins. "Vampires sleep in coffins," he says quietly, seemingly to himself. "Doesn't mean death...."
There is a very undertaker looking fellow next to the coffins. He's human, and tall, and gaunt, and wearing a tall gaunt hat and showing far too many tombstone-like teeth when he smiles, which looks like he's actively trying to detach the top half of his head.
"Ah, Mithter Proone," Igor says, and gestures to the soon to be ex-prisoners. "Three to exit, alive apparently."
"Alive would be much-preferred," Aviri confirms.
"They seem rather small," Mister Proone notes. "I could make do with just one escape pod, I think."
"So... Coffin boats?" Lin asks, knocking on the nearest one with a knuckle. "Well, gotta give you guys credit fer sticking to a theme." She chirps, starting to grin slightly as well.
"One thould be fine, it ithn't like they're going far," Igor says. "And it maketh for better oddth of retrieval before they hit the final waterfall."
"One is good," Aviri says quickly. "Yes, one. A big one. With some kinda net or something to catch...."
"You just want one so you can cuddle up to us." Lin mock accuses and pokes Aviri in the chest.
"We can touch our bald spots together," Trilup giggles.. until Mister Proone brings out the coffin he intends to stuff them into. It's not that big.
"You must stay still as a corpse inside," the gaunt man advises, and lifts the lid. At least there's some velvet padding inside.
"Something about monsters that eat moving things," Aviri guesses, peering into the coffin with some doubts. "Biggest should probably go first." He gently lowers himself into the velvet interior, pressing against a side to allow room for the others.
Lin peers into the coffin. "That shouldn't be a challenge." She says and climbs in after Aviri, pulling up her legs to scrunch into an end and make room for Trilup.
Trilup squeezes in next, looking uncomfortable. Mister Proone makes slight adjustments as well, so that their weight is balanced. "The lid is not airtight, so you do not want to capsize or turn sideways," he advises, just before putting the lid on and starting to nail it shut.
"Well, we shouldn't capsize, since we're not gonna be moving in here," the squished Lapi says pointedly to his companions.
"Yeah, an' this is prolly right homey for you." Lin quips at Aviri.
"Bein' stuck in a box with two Akwavi?" Aviri asks. "Yeah. This is every eighth day in the life of Aviri..."
"Cramped, dark, dusty spaces with bad ventilation and the possibility of sudden flooding." Lin counters.
"Nah, there're always lower tunnels to channel water into," Aviri says. "And fewer otters." He sniffs. "And better hygine."
At least the box isn't just dumped into the river. It's lifted and carried carefully, and it isn't until things get 'floaty' that it's clear they're in the water. "I had fried cheese earlier," Trilup notes defensively.
"I had a pretty spicy saussage an' something they called a corn dog. I got one for Trilup too. Kinda figgured Aviri wouldn't want one sein' how he's a vegetable. Or was it a mushroom?" Lin breathes out deeply and tries to snif her own breath.
"Vegetarian," Aviri corrects. "Should've bought that fruit while I had the chance...." He sighs from the loss.
There are a few bumps, and once the coffin seems to spin sideways. Some water does get in.. especially when it appears that they've come to a stop, and can hear water running higher up along the sides. And then the lid is ripped off, letting in more water and the dark-gray Sylvanian light. Several glowing-eyed Eeee are looking in at them. "All alive, no messes?" the burliest (who would have thought an Eeee could be burly?) asks.
"He might be a vegetable, though he claims otherwise." Lin says, pointing a thumb at Aviri. She unfolds herself from the coffin and waves at the Eeee.
The thought of drowning in the coffin both terrified and amused Aviri, the latter due to how apt it'd be. Still, the removal of the lid makes him gasp with relief, and realize he'd been holding his breath for a while.
They're still on the water, at some sort of dam. This could also be why they weren't given clothes, since they'll need to wade across the water holding onto a rope-fence to get to the shore, where some windowless carriages wait.
Lin nods to the Eeee and starts wading. "Thanks, but wasn't there supposed to be a waterfall?" She asks, looking around and listening for the telltale roar of watter thundering over a ledge. "They said there'd be a waterfall." Her face shows a hint of a pout, betraying her disapointment.
Aviri carefully gets up and hops into the water, clutching both the dam and the side of the coffin (to keep it from tipping over) in case the dam doesn't continue all the way down to the riverbed, and thus to prevent himself from getting sucked under and to whatever waterfall awaited such a fate.
"Waterfall is further down," the burly Eeee comments, pointing vaguely down river as he leads them to the carriages. Only one has an open door, so that seems to be the one they're being led too. There's no driver's bench - the reigns of the Dromodons lead through slits into an enclosed cabin of sorts.
Lin walks partway around the front of the carriage and stands up on her toes, trying to see into the driver's compartment. "Anyone in there?" She asks, giving the cabin a wave.
"Of course there is," a possibly female voice replies from inside the cabin. "Did you expect a magically animated doll to be doing this job?"
Aviri tries to flick off as much of the water as he can before getting into the carriage. "No doubt the oddest way I've left a town," he notes.
"You have magically animated dolls?" Lin asks, mouth agape, "Where do you find those?"
"Just.. get in the coach please," the driver replies.
Trilup climbs in after Aviri, and looks for.. and finds.. towels! "I feel weird," she complains. "My butt feels wet."
Aviri laughs at that, snatching a towel and drying himself off. "This is how the rest of us feel when we swim."
Lin does relent momentarily and get in the coach. Of course, it's not long before she starts trying to question the driver from the inside of the carriage. Hopefully the driver's cabin is well sound-proofed against annoying passangers who won't let up about magic dolls. She does grab a towel though and gives special attention to drying her furless patches.
"Lin, it's like Waddles, or those other golems we met," Aviri says. "Just creepy magic doing creepy magic things."
After they get underway.. without being able to see where they're headed, a familiar ghostly form appears in Aviri's towel-clad lap. "Actually it's just a girl up there," Silv reports. "Not sure if she's a vampire. Are all of you okay? Oooo.. are you gonna get the tattoos now that you've prepped the area?"
"Silv!" Aviri says brightly, and makes to hug the ghost before realizing that's a flawed idea. "These two have wet butts, but that's about the worst of it, I think. And no; not having tattoos saved our untattooed hides, actually."
"You're back!" Lin chirps, half standing up and then sitting back down as she remembers that ghosts aren't a thing you can hug. "Where'd you go? I still would rather dye my fur instead of do anything to the skin though."
"It's for secret tattoos," Silv points out. "And I was with all the other stuff in a freaky room where I may or may not have existed."
"Not so secret when the guards shave your ass," Aviri mutters. "Glad you're back, though! And not in a cold chamber of sadness."
"What he said." Lin chirps, "And having a secret tattoo kind of deffeats the point of having a tattoo in the first place! They're for showing off an' stuff."
"Secret societies have secrets, Linyoyo," Silv points out, rolling her transparent eyes. "You don't show them off.. you want them hidden except to the folks that know how to look."
"But that doesn't help if everyone knows where to look!" Aviri counters. "Wny not a tattoo on the back of your hand? Equally hidden, and when the guards shave your butt they think you're clean!"
"But then it catches on that a secret society has a secret tattoo on the back of their hand and then I wind up with more shaved patches." Lin complains, "No! As soon as I can, I'm getting an enchantment that makes it impossible to cut my fur unless I specifically permit it."
Aviri rolls his eyes at that. "Yeah, because that's not suspicious." He thinks a moment. "Though, then they'd know you're not in a secret society because, even if you were, you couldn't prove it to the other members."
Trilup, meanwhile, has been inspecting every bit of their coach. "No hidden caches of snacks," she reports. "I hope they feed us soon.."
"I've got lots of bread and cheese in my satchel," Aviri says to Trilup. "When we get that back, we'll have food."
"And you've gotta try those corndogs!" Lin adds, "It's like all the bits of meat you wouldn't normally eat wrapped in cornbread and dusted with sugar!"