Fire Emblem: Curse of the Goddess [IC/PG-16/Not Accepting]

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"To you who have completed the trial, welcome. To the altar of Inari."

 

How long had this Protean woman been here? Ciela wondered. Did she live here for the sake of trial? That must be unpleasant, no? Well, either way it was not something she should concern herself with. The group had cleared the trial with flying colors, great. The chieftain seemingly appeared soon afterwards, and congratulated the group. He was alone though, and something about how he looked at the group felt off. Did they accidentally screw up? Granted, the only reason she even noticed something was wrong was just because she expected the passing of the trial to end in a more grandiose manner with the people properly congratulating them, but even without that, something definitely felt off now that it had been brought into her attention.

But all that thought went down to the drain as what happened next occupied her focus entirely. Both the chieftain and the protean lady fell down to their knees as something suddenly happened. Sienna was seemingly affected by it too and now were clutching her head. It was chaotic and Ciela was barely able to react, as she actually never used her magic to heal common illness such as headaches.

 

Link was faster than her. Before she even manage to sort her own thought after hearing Penelope's order, Link had already ordered people to perform first aid. Ah, his words made her head clear. Ciela remembered reading about what Link said in a book, but seeing how he performed with such efficiency still amazed her. Perhaps that was what being a soldier was about, wasn't it? Cutting herself off her daze, Ciela went towards Sienna first and brought her staff forward. Chanting a prayer to Inera to channel the magic towards her, as she was unsure about the desired output for sudden migraine attack, she simply aimed for it to work like her usual Mending. She had no ideas whether it worked or not, but she went on to do the same thing with the chieftain and the lady protean too. With her being unable to actually physically help the three, it's really the only thing she could do for them.

 

As a healer, seeing people suffering in pain like this and having no ideas about what to do really made one felt quite powerless.

 

---

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Edrick felt the not entirely unexpected pain of being struck by dark magic wash over him, though just as he was crying out the pain subsided and a warmth filled his chest just as a bright flash of light left him blinded for a moment. He stumbled, but stopped before he fell entirely and was left standing there blinking and staring down to where the light had originated from. The very same amulet of Inera the Destroyer which his mother had given him when he first embarked on this insane journey of his. As far as he could remember that was the first time it had ever shone like that, and if he needed any sign beyond what he had already heard of Inera's return it was this. A literal example of her protection of the faithful! He looked away just in time to catch the last sight of the foxes fleeing, and so consumed was he by zeal in that moment he nearly broke into a charge in the name of running them down to offer their souls to the goddess!

 

And then Catriona coughed. He was worried at first, thinking perhaps she was getting sick, and then he remembered that it was her who had brought him news of Inera's return to the world. For her to have so suddenly fallen ill, so close in time to this miracle, in combination with his vision of her as Inera herself when they first met was all too much to be a coincidence. If nothing else, he was more convinced now than ever that this was where he needed to be in the world. So he turned away from where the foxes had run from and was quickly at her side, though she seemed to recover quickly enough before he could even offer assistance.

 

"Easy there," he said as she stood up straight again, "how do you feel?" Though his attempts at assistance were interrupted again, this time by the little wolf barking before running to chase after the Proteans. That creature was quick to remind them of their mission it seemed, and now an idea came to him. "We should follow them. Maybe we've lost the chance to scout, but if they lead us directly to the Fox village we can see for ourselves how Penelope is doing. Furthermore, we can find further answers." He heavily patted the princess on the back, and then set off in the direction that the Proteans had gone at a quick pace. Perhaps meeting with the foxes would let him confirm his suspicions about the one that had dogged them in Ithome.

[Yui]

---

Azar's eyes narrowed as her spell connected. Not with her target though. With the Pontic. Something on him must have been imbued with some sort of magic, as it certainly reacted to her Flux, and the boy didn't take nearly the beating that the spell should have done. While it was by all means an interesting occurrence, Azar was more caught on the fact that his reckless pursuit of the Protean she'd aimed at caused him to take the spell instead, and ended in the very fox they were after getting away, with his comrade. Nice going.

 

Catriona seemed ready to chase them down herself, but suddenly broke into a fit of coughing. The same boy who had cost Azar her clean shot at the Proteans was the first to see to her. He'd be perfectly capable of handling it himself, right?

 

"Easy there, how do you feel? We should follow them. Maybe we've lost the chance to scout, but if they lead us directly to the Fox village we can see for ourselves how Penelope is doing. Furthermore, we can find further answers."

 

"Agreed," Azar nodded, closing up her Flux tome. "Fighting an entire village at once may be difficult, but in the worst case scenario, we can try handing him over as a peace offering," she added, pointing with her thumb toward Shiro. "Then we get your missing people and work it out from there."

---

[King K. Azo]

Shiro was quiet as everything went down. He wanted to kill those foxes, trying to act self-righteous when they straight up planned out cold blooded murder. They needed info, but he didn't want info, he wanted to make them pay. Trying to attack his village, his family, and for what?

 

"I'm a loyal fox! And if protecting our territory means somebody's got to get their hands dirty, then so be it!"

 

Protect their territory his giant blue ass. They wanted more, to expand! Why else would they try to wipe out the frogs? He couldn't even imagine what the foxes would want to do with their land. However, the fox, in the end, got away, and the princess fell over into a coughing fit. As the others discussed their offer, Shiro gently hopped over to Catriona, lowering himself before her. 

"Get on my back, and rest," he offered, his voice now having a slight echo due to being a giant frog. "It's not an offer you'd normally get, but right now, we need to give you time to recover," The tone he used made it clear he might be very offended if she refused.

[Sethera]

Os Sapos

Catriona stood, wiping the black-colored blood off her mouth discretely as she did so. However, it seemed she wasn't discrete enough, that or the coughs had attracted her companions' attention even in the midst of the confusion.

 

"Easy there," Edrick said, seeming to have recovered from his own shock, "how do you feel?" Though his attempts at assistance were interrupted again, this time by the little wolf barking before running to chase after the Proteans. "We should follow them. Maybe we've lost the chance to scout, but if they lead us directly to the Fox village we can see for ourselves how Penelope is doing. Furthermore, we can find further answers." He heavily patted the princess on the back, and then set off in the direction that the Proteans had gone at a quick pace.

 

"Agreed," Azar nodded, closing up her Flux tome. "Fighting an entire village at once may be difficult, but in the worst case scenario, we can try handing him over as a peace offering," she added, pointing with her thumb toward Shiro. "Then we get your missing people and work it out from there."

 

Catriona turned to see what the Protean would have to say about it. So far, he had been fairly silent, and she had forgotten sometimes he was there, even with his large size while transformed. Either he hadn't heard the shaman's words or he chose to ignore them, hopping over and lowering himself into a crouch in front of the princess.

 

"Get on my back, and rest," he offered, his voice now having a slight echo due to being a giant frog. "It's not an offer you'd normally get, but right now, we need to give you time to recover," The tone he used made it clear he might be very offended if she refused.

 

The white-haired woman pursed her lips, two sides of her at war. She had been raised to believe that appearances were everything, that putting up a strong front was what was not only expected, but required of her as the crown princess of Galtea. Her time on the front had not done much to dissuade her of that, but she also knew full well of diplomacy and the dangers that came with offending others.

 

Still, the first would have won out, had there not been a third part, the part learned as a soldier. And that was expediency. Proper or not, injurious to her pride or not, they needed to catch up with the Proteans before they could report the attack. And she had seen how quickly the frogs could travel, a single hop covering more than ten times the distance a single footfall could extend. So she nodded graciously, muttering a "You have my thanks," before beginning to climb on Shiro's back awkwardly.

 

And then they were off. While Shiro more than outpaced the others normally, he was slowed by Catriona's weight, and thus didn't go too far ahead of the others. Still, the trees blurred around them, and she wondered just how the frog could avoid them at the speed he was going. Perhaps it was something he had learned from traveling through the forest. Through it all, she could hear the encouraging barks of the mysterious wolf pup ahead of them.

 

It seemed like hours had passed before they reached the entrance of the fox village, but it was probably far less than that. Still, it looked like they were too late. She could espy the two foxes, one unconscious, the other, the one that ran away, looking exhausted but healthier than before, quaffing a concoction as he listened to a black-eared fox woman scold him in low tones.

 

BGM

 

"Killing the frog sage will not solve our problems."

 

"But, the frogs are preparing to fight us. If we take out their leader, then they won't be able to attack!"

 

"You underestimate them." The woman shook her head. "What you did was unsanctioned by the chieftain, and he will hear of this."

 

"...Yes, Licorice," the man lowered his head and sighed.

 

"Take your friend to the herbalist."

 

Catriona watched the fox walk into the village, looking properly chastised. However, she didn't have long to stew over that, as the black-furred Protean woman turned to them next.

 

"Who are you?" she asked, stiffening, before taking a closer look at them and relaxing somewhat. "Ah, you are here for your companions?"

 

"Yes," the lord replied, hand coming to rest on her sword hilt. "By whatever means necessary." Battling the foxes earlier had wiped her mind of all thoughts of subtlety or scouting.

 

"You are out of luck," the woman shook her head. "They are undergoing the trials as we speak."

 

"Trials? What trials?" the white-haired woman's voice rose in panic and anger. "Criminal trials?"

 

"No. Testing trials. They wished to see the shrine, but all who enter must pass the trials first."

 

"So they are not your prisoners?" Catriona glared at the fox.

 

"No, there was...a misunderstanding," the black-haired woman shook her head. "If you wish to see them, then you are welcome to stay," her voice rang with authority. "I say this on behalf of the absent chieftain."

 

"What makes you think we can trust you?" the princess growled.

 

.

 

Ahri led Alois a merry chase through multiple rooms. It seemed that every time he got close to catching her, she would slip through his fingers and soon enough he'd hear her giggling from a distance, as if she had suddenly teleported, or had never been there in the first place. The rooms themselves were interesting, from the little he saw of them. A hallway with multiple paintings, a parlor, and the kitchen where Robin and Gunther were.

 

Meanwhile, Robin sighed from his position in the kitchen. "Ahh, it's...all righ', I'll be honest, I dunno how to make tea," he finished, sounding miserable. "I was born a commoner, an'll always be one, despite what His Royal Pompousness thinks," he rolled his eyes. "So I never had ta make the stuff, or do anyfing like that," he explained.

 

He looked to be ready to say more, when he was interrupted by a white blur zipping through the room, followed by a darker blur. "...Oi? No, no don't tell me," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Ahri, ye get back here right now!" he shouted, before muttering. "Dunno why she decided to move in with me, but she's a right handful, she is."

 

Ahri didn't even stop, her giggling echoing down the hallway.

 

Alois's chase continued through an observatory, a billiard room, an armory, and even a bedroom, with a wardrobe that led to the outside.

 

The Protean danced in place in front of it for a bit. "Nyah nyah!" she said, and then fled outside to the trees.

 

--

 

As Raposas

"What is this, how can I help?"

 

"There is nothing...ride it out..." the woman spoke between gritted teeth, before she passed out. The chieftain, beside her, had already slipped into unconsciousness. Even being propped up, they didn't regain consciousness, though they at least didn't bite their tongues off. Ciela's healing magic seemed to help somewhat, but then their faces, which had relaxed, tensed up even more, as if the attack had redoubled in strength, and their bodies twitched as if electrified.

 

It would be several minutes before they would regain consciousness, several minutes before Sienna would recover from the attack herself, and when they did, they looked...ragged, as if they had aged years in those minutes. "I am sorry," the chieftain coughed, "that you had to see that. To be honest, I hoped that you would not see it."

 

"These attacks happen every so often," the fox woman said miserably, obviously still recovering from the ordeal. "Ever since the beads were stolen, actually."

 

"Which is why we've been trying to get them back," the chieftain said grimly. "My wife has been praying here ever since the theft, that by Inari's grace they will be returned."

 

"So far, I have been...unsuccessful," the woman, now revealed as his wife and Sienna's mother, said. "But I have not lost hope. If you are here to investigate the room, then by all means, do so," she stepped aside, but not before sweeping Sienna up in a hug. "I have missed you," she breathed.

 

Meanwhile, the rest would be free to investigate the room.

 

[spoiler=OOC]

Team Sapo

The black fox Protean is now talking to the group, and has invited them to stay in the fox village and wait. She also seems open to anything the group has to say.

Ahri disappeared outside, and Robin seems exasperated with it all.

 

Team Raposa

The foxes have recovered from the attack, and have given permission for the group to look around the room.

 

 

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

"Ah, to tell the truth I was born a commoner as well. Until I was...oh, sorry, never mind that, it is unimportant." He couldn't let slip he was here with royalty, not to someone who was still a stranger, after all. There was something disarming about this man, charming in fact, but he was still unknown. And Gunther wasn't about to just forget the strangeness that brought him here to begin with. Not to mention that this man apparently had connection to some kind of noble and, given recent discoveries, those were an especially suspect group.

 

He couldn't help but be amused as the girl ran in and then promptly ran back out again. "She certainly has energy to spare, perhaps I should apologize to Alois for letting him tackle this alone...Wait, did you say she decided?" Gunther turned his attention back to the man. That was an interesting choice of words. "How did you two...come to meet each other, anyway?"

---

 

It seemed the attack was only a temporary thing. However that only raised more questions. "If it were a singular occurrence we could more easily discern the cause. An extended period would have to be something more complicated. And it happened after the beads were stolen you say?"

 

The question now was whether the beads being gone caused this or if it was caused by the one who stole the beads. Whatever the case it wasn't something to brush away so easily. "Whoever took it would have to know to come here, and be able to pass this test correct? Would Inari really allow such a thing so easily?"

 

She had been given permission to search the room, the shrine which had interested her so, but there was a mystery afoot here and she needed more information from whichever of the two would tell it. She would leave the searching of the room to the others. "Excuse me but could you tell me more about Inari? And what her...connection, if any,to the Goddess is?"

[Alaina]

 

As Alois continued his chase throughout the halls of the mansion, he kept being met with various different rooms, of kinds that he had never seen before. While he might've looked around or gawked at certain times, every time he entered the room he was met with the reminder that there was a little scamp that he needed to get. And each time he nearly had found her, her patronizing giggle would resound from a completely different area of the room. "Seriously, how does she keep doing that?" Continuing to chase after the girl, the boy bolted through all kinds of places, swearing that he passed by Robin and Gunther at some point as well, but not really paying much mind to that regardless. 

 

After chasing the girl through some rooms that he didn't recognize, a room that had a strange amount of weapons and even into a bedroom. Once there, Alois felt like he had finally caught up for her, only for the fox protean to enter a wardrobe that lead...outside. "Oh come on." The boy let out a sigh before he followed out the wardrobe, into the forest beyond it. While a sudden feeling of caution struck him before stepping outside, the girl's taunts caused him an annoyance that urged him forward, following after girl shouting, "get back here!" 

 

 

As the headache subsided, Tsetseg looked around, still clearly a bit worried as to what just happened. The fact that it was a problem that happened regularly didn't help ease her at all either, and she merely kept looking between all the fluffy tailed proteans with worry, but gave a nod as they allowed their exploration. As they started, White Haired Friend began to ask a few questions that Tsetseg had no idea the answers to, which left Tsetseg to the actual physical searching. Checking first the bowl, the girl noticed nothing in it. Nothing around it. Nothing under it. Feeling a bit stumped, the girl looked a bit in thought until her eyes wandered onto something on the ground. Curiously, the archer went prone, picking up what appeared to be a small strand of white. The girl attempted to examine it at first, when she looked back to her new friend. Then to Sienna. Then to the portrait. Then back to the strand. She lied there, on the ground, for a few moments before her eyes went wide in realization. Bounding up to the ground, the girl said, "guys, guys, guys. Look, look!" With an excited expression on her face, the girl bounded back onto her feet, holding the strand of white hair right next to the white tails in the portrait. Without saying anything more, the girl merely pointed between the hair and the picture of the tail, as if expecting everyone to get what she was saying.  

[Asriel Dreemurr]

The chase proceeded much as Edrick had expected, though in spite of not believing they would be able to catch the foxes with the lead they had he was frustrated. Inera had shown her power to him in the most real way he had ever seen or could ask for, and he was failing at his task. Though he reminded himself that he had plans apart from catching and killing the foxes, and that had never been the purpose of their adventure, he could not shake the feeling of failure. So it was that when they broke through the brush and finally came upon the entrance to the foxes' village he wore a dark expression on his face, and his mood was even darker. Even so, a certain feeling of homesick nostalgia came over him as he looked upon the village. A feeling that had been nagging at him since they entered the Frogs' Village, though he had buried it under certainness in his duty. The simple buildings, the signs here and there of hunting and agriculture, the smell of meat, which he guessed was venison, cooking over an open fire, everything reminded him of where he had grown up. Even more how much he wanted to go back, though he had long since made up his mind not to return until he had found Elba again. The sight of the fox they had fought and chased being scolded by a woman at the entrance snapped his thoughts back to the present.
 
"Killing the Frog Sage would not solve our problems." Well, it seemed that not everyone supported that plan. Perhaps it had not even been done on orders of the foxes' leader. That was good, even more so if what he believed was true.
 
"But, the Frogs are preparing to fight us. If we take out their leader, then they won't be able to attack!" Now that brought memories of his father's stories of the war rushing back, and perhaps his expression softened just a little.
 
"You underestimate them. What you did was unsanctioned by the chieftain, and he will hear about this." If ever Edrick had a reason to have hope, that was it. At this point he became briefly lost in thought, going over what he had realised back in the Frogs' village and making sure his logic was sound. The moment of doubt he had had at the sight of the apparent assassins vanished, and now more than ever he was certain. He was about to speak up when he noticed Catriona and "Licorice," he was never going to get used to the names some of these people had, were in the midst of a discussion.
 
"What makes you think we can trust you?" He sighed at her words, knowing why she said them but also quick enough with his wits to understand they were not in danger at this precise moment. So, in order to avoid violence breaking out where it did not need to, he stepped forward.
 
"Forgive Her Majesty," he was pretty sure he was channeling Gunther right now, "she's had a stressful day, which included her sister being kidnapped." He paused, half to collect his thoughts and half to look back and make sure Catriona hadn't already drawn her sword. Satisfied that she was not, he returned his attention to the black fox. "That said, I'd be willin' to bet if you wanted to capture or kill us we wouldn't be talkin'. To answer your question, yes we're here to get our friends. We're also here to talk to your chieftain. I think there's an outcast from your tribe workin' with the bandiți to try and take over the forest, and I can explain that but since we need to hurry here I'd prefer explainin' to the chieftain."

[Hakima]

---

Link could have been easily mistaken for a zombie while he worked, mindless but unhesitant. It wasn’t on the same scale as some other things he had seen, and no battle raging around him this time either. It was easier to keep a level head now more than ever before. Things only almost got out of hand once, when Ciela healed Rufus, and after a brief moment of respite the man started seizing so badly Link struggled to hold him down, but he managed, and the chieftain passed out again.

 

"I am sorry," the chieftain coughed, "that you had to see that. To be honest, I hoped that you would not see it."

 

"These attacks happen every so often," the fox woman said miserably, obviously still recovering from the ordeal. "Ever since the beads were stolen, actually."

 

"Which is why we've been trying to get them back," the chieftain said grimly. "My wife has been praying here ever since the theft, that by Inari's grace they will be returned."

 

Link knew that he didn’t need to state the obvious; this was in some way tied to their beads. He wasn’t really all that sure how, but magic wasn’t his strong suit, either. Princess Penelope seemed on top of it, thankfully, launching a series of questions at Sienna’s parents.

 

He turned his attention to searching the room, but he didn’t find much. Tsetseg seemed to have better luck, but she was holding up a hair, pointing between Sienna and the picture on the wall, as if he was supposed to see some connection between the two. He didn’t, and waited for her to elaborate.

---

[Sethera]

Żaby

"Forgive Her Majesty," Edrick stepped forward, "she's had a stressful day, which included her sister being kidnapped." He paused, looking back at the princes, before returning his attention to the black fox. "That said, I'd be willin' to bet if you wanted to capture or kill us we wouldn't be talkin'. To answer your question, yes we're here to get our friends. We're also here to talk to your chieftain. I think there's an outcast from your tribe workin' with the bandiți to try and take over the forest, and I can explain that but since we need to hurry here I'd prefer explainin' to the chieftain."

 

Licorice dipped her head. "I understand. We were...hasty. I apologize. If you wish to speak to the chieftain, then wait till morning. For now, there is a building that was once an inn. You can stay there."

 

Catriona glared at the woman, but seemed to recover herself eventually. "As long as we may see our companions."

 

"Assuredly."

 

BGM

 

The black fox led the group through the gates, and from what the princess could see, she seemed to be respected, if the looks the other Proteans gave her were any example. The looks they shot the group, however, were mixed between hostility and confusion. Meanwhile, the wolf pup seemed intent on heading down the path, past a large tree, and out of the village proper.

 

"That way is the shrine," Licorice said. "It is a long walk, too long at this hour." Instead, much to the cub's reluctance, they made their way to a broken-down building, though it followed behind them eventually. "Watch your step." The floorboards were creaky and missing in some places, the windows were shattered, and dust lingered everywhere, but it seemed bearable. Catriona had slept in worse places.

 

"Apologies. I will be back with bedrolls," the black fox said, and left, but the lord would notice that a pair of familiar-looking Proteans would take her place, one glaring at the group while the other gazed at them calmly. They were the ones who had fought Glenn and Shiro.

 

"Don't try any funny business," the one with darker orange hair snapped. "Especially you," he glared at Shiro.

 

"Peace, brother," the other soothed.

 

"As if! I still don't believe that they don't have something to do with all that's been going on," he scoffed.

 

.

 

"Ah, to tell the truth I was born a commoner as well. Until I was...oh, sorry, never mind that, it is unimportant."

 

"Really?" Robin seemed delighted. "I knew yer friend--Alois was it? I knew he was a commoner, but you too? Gotta say, ye don't really sound like one."

 

The knight looked amused at Ahri's actions. "She certainly has energy to spare, perhaps I should apologize to Alois for letting him tackle this alone...Wait, did you say she decided?" Gunther turned his attention back to the man. That was an interesting choice of words. "How did you two...come to meet each other, anyway?"

 

"Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't heard. Ye look like one of them knight fellers," the man commented. "Good idea of Gus, to make the Knight Order, and all that." He shook his head. "It's a long story, but I s'pose we have time," he smiled. "We have all the time in the world now that She's gone."

 

The redhead stared at the wall for a second. "You could say it all started when I joined Gus. He had a plan, see. Never saw the like of it afore, a man as driven as he was. I found out later, he lost his entire family to the goddess, in one of Her rages. Bam, just like that, they were blown to smithereens from Her light magic. Well, during those times, everybody had a tale to tell about how they'd suffered under the goddess, but he seemed special. Like he'd actually succeed." The man scratched his head in embarrassment. "Anyway, I joined, others joined, and so did Ahri. We found her wanderin' around in Locris, confused and wonderin' where she was. Guess you could say she took a shine to me, so when all was said and done, and we split up, she decided to come here too. Said she liked the forest, anyway."

 

Meanwhile, Alois had followed the girl outside, and he would be able to see, looking back, a doorway to the inside of the mansion, however, further back would be the mansion itself, as well as the lake. Forward, a small game trail with a lighted torch to the side of it led into the woods, and it was down this trail that Ahri fled.

 

BGM

 

Following her, he would have to climb over fallen logs and splash through streams, but after a couple of minutes, he would reach a small clearing. There were flowers, and a ring of mushrooms, and in the center stood Ahri.

 

"Teehee, that was fun," she giggled, twirling in place. "Look, look! This is my secret place. It's really pretty, right?" She glanced around. "I come here when I want to relax, or hide cuz I have to go to bed," she stuck her tongue out, before looking up at Alois. "You know...I was really lonely," she fiddled with her fingers. "Everybody that looks at me usually screams or runs away. They say I'll eat their souls." She pouted, cheeks puffing, "But I like rice, not souls. Don't know how I'd eat them anyway." She smiled at the fighter. "You and Gunthy, you didn't run away. So I...I wanted to show you this place in thanks." She blushed, and started to stammer. "S-so would you like to stay here? I'm sure Robbie wouldn't mind the extra company either."

 

--

 

Lisy

"If it were a singular occurrence we could more easily discern the cause. An extended period would have to be something more complicated. And it happened after the beads were stolen you say?"

 

The foxes nodded miserably in response. "I believe it is because the beads are imbued with Inari's blessing," the female Protean said.

 

"Whoever took it would have to know to come here, and be able to pass this test correct? Would Inari really allow such a thing so easily? Excuse me but could you tell me more about Inari? And what her...connection, if any, to the Goddess is?"

 

"Yes, they would have to. I do not believe she would, but the facts lay before us," the fox chieftain seemed troubled at that. He bit his lip, looking hesitant, and in that span of time his wife jumped in. "Inari is...we call her our ancestor, but that's not technically right. She has no blood descendants, but she found all the wild foxes of the land and brought us together to form one tribe. In that, she is our spiritual ancestor, and the founder of our tribe. It is said that she blessed the beads with her protection, and that is why we have had such good fortune until now." She looked embarrassed suddenly, "Ah, where are my manners? My name is Sandara, my apologies for the late introduction."

 

"Inari has no connection to the goddess," Rufus said shortly. "Though we believe that she fought alongside Augustus to defeat the goddess, there is no mention of her in any records, so we cannot confirm it. Were she to still exist, I believe she would do all she could to defeat Her."

 

"Guys, guys, guys. Look, look!" With an excited expression on her face, Tsetseg bounded back onto her feet, holding the strand of white hair right next to the white tails in the portrait. Without saying anything more, the girl merely pointed between the hair and the picture of the tail, as if expecting everyone to get what she was saying. 

 

Sandara stared disbelievingly for a second, before shaking her head in horrified denial. "No, no," she said. "The great Inari would never do such a thing. Besides, she has not been seen alive in centuries. There is no way. That is more likely to be my fur than hers."

 

Rufus's reaction was much less animated, though one would see a flash of panic cross his eyes for a second before it was replaced with grim rejection. "No, that's impossible. Even suggesting such things is blasphemous."

 

[spoiler=OOC]

Team Żaba

- You're in an old inn now, waiting for Licorice to get back with bedrolls. Meanwhile, the two foxes from before are there.

- Gunther gets to hear how Robin met Ahri. Meanwhile, Ahri is showing Alois her special place.

 

Team Lis

- The foxes have answered Penelope's questions but seem horrified at what Tsetseg is suggesting.

 

Giving a pass for now to make up for me not posting last week.

 

 

[Alaina]

 

As the boy ran outside into the woods, he began to start to running forward, only to slow down his pace as he looked around. "What the hell?" Behind him, was a door. The door he took that lead out of the mansion to where he was now. Behind that was the mansion. Only, the mansion was much much farther than any door would allow. The boy was entirely bewildered by just how any of this worked, but he soon remembered that he had just exited a mansion that was all but run down when he arrived through a wardrobe while chasing a fox girl. All in all, "strange" was not uncommon today. As the boy had eventually decided to start to pick up the pace, he rushed back through the woods when in this game of cat and mouse...or person and fox. 

 

After a bit of an arduous path and wet clothing, the boy had eventually managed to reach some kind of small clearing. Looking around, the whole area seemed to have had a certain sereneness to it, causing Alois to be unsure if he should even enter it to begin with. As she commented on this the boy absentmindedly, "yeah. Real nice place you got kid." It was then that the girl started to explain why she did this, and was quite thankful that he and the knight didn't run away from her on sight. The boy was a bit confused by this until he seemed to remember something fairly obvious. Proteans weren't exactly commonplace where he was from and his first sighting with one wasn't exactly the most inviting. Before he said anything on this, though, the girl then started to stammer about the two outsiders living with her and Robin. The boy was taken aback by this sudden request, not really sure what was going on, though the answer didn't take long to reach. Feeling a bit awkward given how she seemed, Alois said, "sorry kid, but I don't think we can. Don't get me wrong, real nice place you got and definitely fancier then I'm used to but, we still got things to do and only happened upon here by accident. So, uh, yeah." 

 

 

Tsetseg continued to look excited at the strand she had found, but it had appeared that the others were not so much. The others from the group didn't seem to understand at first and once the fluffy tailed proteans had finished talking to White Haired Friend, they did not seem pleased. While they didn't actually seem to get the point she was trying to get across, the girl's enthusiasm seemed to die down as they scolded her for what she was doing. Her expression going from a smile to a downtrodden frown, the girl lowered her arm and the strand with it as she said, "um, s-sorry. Uh...um," the girl stammered briefly but both the horror and grief she had caused to the two foxes already had caused the girl to become far more self conscious then normal. Due to that, she had a lot more trouble actually forming her words and instead shuffled away from the portrait, instead looking to the other people she had entered the shrine with.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

"I have tried hard to speak in this manner to not embarrass my...allies." Gunther said. It was difficult to not let anything slip. Though after the things Robin were saying he wasn't quite sure he needed to be so careful. At least not for the reasons he was thinking. His story was beginning to feel familiar to the man, and the mentions of the Goddess. The Goddess doing things that would be impossible nowadays.

 

Trying not to panic at the thoughts that were crossing his mind, Gunther focused on the part he could relate with. "The Goddess, and her followers, have wronged far too many people." Gunther's face grew dark as he thought about it. He still could not understand how someone could choose to worship her. She clearly had no compassion for her followers. No one was safe from her capacious wrath.

 

Taking a steadying breath, Gunther's face relaxed. "Sorry. You said...'Gus', right, do you mean...?" He left the question hanging. He needed to be sure, but, if he were right then asking this the incorrect way would raise suspicion.

---

 

Penelope moved over towards Tsetseg and smiled at her. In a low voice she spoke to her. "Thank you for finding this for us." She then had to keep herself from glaring at their two hosts. She didn't approve of them causing her companion such grief. However she had to be careful. What she was about to say would not go over well and she couldn't afford being rude.

 

"I apologize, Chief Rufus, Lady Sandara, if there is any insult in what I say. However from all I have seen I no longer believe that this could have been done by anyone other than a fox. As for Inari, herself...you say that she hasn't been seen alive in such a long time. However has she been seen dead? And similarly, she has no known descendants but it is certainly possible one exists that was never mentioned. Of course, there are also two other possible answers. One, a misguided follower. Two, someone who wishes to start a war with the frogs." She looked directly at Rufus. She hadn't missed his expression. She couldn't be sure what it meant. She was certain, however, that it meant something. "What do you think?"

[King K. Azo]

Shiro was on edge, and honestly scared. They were in a fox village, surrounded by foxes, the same tribe that wanted to kill their chief, the ones that did kill his friend. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't so foolish to believe that this small group could take on the whole village, but to back down like this... he was afraid, obviously. 

He sat in the back corner, as far as he could from the foxes, hugging his knees and resting his head on said knees. What was he doing? Glenn would have been so much better for this. He was a much better speaker, a better warrior, better at everything. The group needed him, not Shiro. So why was he stuck here? He couldn't do this, he had to get away, but he couldn't get away. They needed him, and he wouldn't be able to face his village again if he abandoned the humans, no matter how much of a panic attack he was having.

 

"Don't try any funny business," the one with darker orange hair snapped. "Especially you," he glared at Shiro. Shiro just looked up, staring back into the fox's eyes, light defiance in his eyes. 

 

"Peace, brother," the other soothed.

 

"As if! I still don't believe that they don't have something to do with all that's been going on," he scoffed.

 

"Yeah, being victims of attempted assassination and straight out murder. The Frog clan sure is to blame for everything that's happening. Poor foxes," Shiro muttered sarcastically.

[Wind Rider]

After the sickening headache, everything seem to calm within the shrine and Sienna found herself in her mother's loving embrace. "I have missed you," is all she said to the young fox protean, but it was all Sienna needed to hear. She held onto her mother, it was a heartwarming reunion for what it was worth, and right now they still needed to figure out how the beads were stolen, and who even took them in the first place. As usual, it was easier said then done.

 

Penelope proceeded to ask any at questions she had to the chief and the others dispersed to look around the shrine. Tsetseg found some white fur and pointed towards a picture of Inari herself, more than likely saying that Inari herself took the beads, but Sienna's parents both through that theory down the drain.

 

"I apologize, Chief Rufus, Lady Sandara, if there is any insult in what I say. However from all I have seen I no longer believe that this could have been done by anyone other than a fox. As for Inari, herself...you say that she hasn't been seen alive in such a long time. However has she been seen dead? And similarly, she has no known descendants but it is certainly possible one exists that was never mentioned. Of course, there are also two other possible answers. One, a misguided follower. Two, someone who wishes to start a war with the frogs." Penelope had some interesting points there, but to Sienna it was really the second of the two answers.

 

"Whoever stole the beads clearly wants to start a conflict..." Sienna thought for a second and seemed to have a bit of an idea. "If the fox tribe... And the frog tribe... Were to weaken or destroy themselves in a war... Where would that leave the other tribe?"

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Edrick was more than a little bit antsy at the prospect of staying the night here rather than getting back to the frog village. Both because this essentially meant they were abandoning Gunther and Alois, who perhaps he had mixed feelings about but still felt at least some amount of loyalty towards, and because of the very real potential of the Frogs thinking they were captured or killed by the foxes. That could very well see the progress made towards preventing an actual war breaking out here in these woods being lost, and he certainly did not want to see the homes he had seen become a battlefield. Maybe he was too young to remember when that had happened to him, but he had seen the effect of that on his parents and his sister. So while they were shown to where the foxes wished them to stay the night, he quietly prayed.

 

"Inera, thou mistress of undeath

thou who turneth death upon itself

giveth unto me the strength of body

and the presence of mind

to defeat that greatest of thine enemies

before it might even raise its head again."

 

He always found it odd that some of the prayers his father had taught him were in the Galtean language, but the sentiments of this one rang true. He had repeated it five times when they arrived at the old inn, and he felt simultaneously relieved to have a place to rest and worried that he had not brought anything else with him. Though he was soon enough given other reasons to worry, as the pair of foxes antagonized Shiro and it was returned in kind. Sighing, he set down both the worn spear he had carried since he had first joined the party and the newer one he had acquired from the Pelina Patrol. Unarmed as he now was, he stepped forward to stand between the foxes and the frog.

 

"First," he began with his attention on the frogs, "let me say that I am sorry for how things began with us. We've had a stressful day, and very much want to see our friends again. Second, let me introduce myself. I am Edrick Roransson, the Princess's man." He did not exactly have another way to introduce himself. "This is Shiro, our guide and the representative of the frogs in this." He gestured to the man, and then to each of the others as he spoke of them. "This is Azar, a witch who I must respect if only for her power," he found himself rubbing where her spell had struck him in the back, "And lastly this is Crown Princess Catriona Nabudis. We do not wish to be your enemies, and instead would join you against a common foe. Look upon me, know whom I serve, and know that my Mistress does not abide lies."

[Hakima]

---

Link decided that whatever was going on—and something most definitely was—he was in way over his head. He had worn a lot of hats in his twenty-two years, but he had taken a wide berth around politicians and their kind. He was content to let Princess Penelope do the talking, to study and take notes on the chieftain and his wife to report later, but that changed when Rufus and Sandara realized what Tsetseg was implying.

 

The atmosphere of the room changed instantly. Rufus tensed, stiff as a corpse, and Sanara shouted in denial. Link kept by the princess side, ready for anything, until he saw Tsetseg. She was white as a ghost, stuttering, so quiet that even his acute hearing couldn’t make out what she was saying.

 

Even as Princess Penelope thanked the girl, Link planted himself between Tsetseg and Sienna’s parents, using his body as a literal wall to shelter the archer. “Don’t worry,” he said over his shoulder, and the softness of his voice was at odds with the intensity with which he returned Rufus’ stare.

---

[Sethera]

Broaștele

After being led to the place they were staying, Catriona noted that Edrick seemed to be praying quietly to himself. Perhaps seeing the effect of his pendant had renewed his faith? Not that it seemed to need any such renewal... She focused her attention on what their new guards had to say.

 

Soon after, the princess wanted to stab the fox through with her sword after his comments. Perhaps she was a little too excited, too invested here, but these Proteans, who had kidnapped Penelope, who had plotted against the life of the Frog Sage, and then had the gall to blame them for their problems. Well, to her, it sounded, to put it bluntly, like a load of pegasus dung.

 

Shiro seemed to agree. "Yeah, being victims of attempted assassination and straight out murder. The Frog clan sure is to blame for everything that's happening. Poor foxes," Shiro muttered sarcastically.

 

The fox Protean's face tightened in anger, and he looked one second away from attacking the frog.

 

Catriona nodded agreement as she stood up to defend Shiro should he need it, her face a storm cloud of anger. She had half a mind to give those two a piece of her mind, when Edrick spoke instead.

 

"First," he began with his attention on the two, "let me say that I am sorry for how things began with us. We've had a stressful day, and very much want to see our friends again. Second, let me introduce myself. I am Edrick Roransson, the Princess's man. This is Shiro, our guide and the representative of the frogs in this." The lancer gestured to the man, and then to each of the others as he spoke of them. "This is Azar, a witch who I must respect if only for her power," he rubbed his back briefly, "And lastly this is Crown Princess Catriona Nabudis. We do not wish to be your enemies, and instead would join you against a common foe. Look upon me, know whom I serve, and know that my Mistress does not abide lies."

 

Catriona didn't pay much mind to his phrasing, her own mind distracted and pensive, but the fox Proteans did. They glanced between the obvious Pontic, the princess's man, and the princess...well, there was only one place that had princesses, let alone crown princesses, and that was Galtea. A Pontic and a Galtean. It was like one of the famous plays written by the Bard of Trikka, who had taken much of his inspiration from the mysterious Vinuvian Forest nearby. Antony and Maria, the play was called, said to be inspired by the earlier Pyramus and Thisbe.

 

So captivated were they by this juicy tale, as most fox Proteans were, by nature, incredibly nosy and avid storytellers as well as story listeners, that even the younger Protean had forgotten his hostility in that moment. "So you're eloping then?" he asked, eyes bright with inquisitive curiosity.

 

"Persimmon! Don't be so crass!" the older one scolded, though he also cast the pair a curious glance. He seemed to realize he had let his guard down though, giving Shiro a wary glance. He hadn't seen this frog or that green one very often, but he had fought them, and he knew enough to know that this one was more skilled than most. "Whatever you are doing, it is none of our business, I apologize," he spoke smoothly.

 

"Apology accepted," Catriona said after a pause. She wasn't exactly sure what conclusion these two had jumped to, but it seemed to have done much to calm their temper, though, regrettably, hers was still running high.

 

It was in that state that Licorice returned, with a smile on her face. "Your friends have returned from the shrine. You will be able to see them tomorrow." She had also brought a bedroll for each person, along with a tray of food: their signature inarizushi and some grilled fish. She left right after arranging the food and bidding them a goodnight, however. After the group finished eating, the two male foxes, who looked remarkably alike, would clear the food and roll out the bedrolls for them, and then leave the house as well.

 

The night would be quiet for the humans, but Shiro would be woken up by a sharp headache in the middle of the night.

 

.

 

"I have tried hard to speak in this manner to not embarrass my...allies." Gunther said. "The Goddess, and her followers, have wronged far too many people." The knight's face grew dark as he thought about it. Taking a steadying breath, his face relaxed. "Sorry. You said...'Gus', right, do you mean...?"

 

"Augustus, yes," the bowman gave a wry smile. "Hero of Mysia, King of Galtea, Leader of the Twelve Crusaders, and founder of his very own city, named after his august self," he shook his head at that. "I'd call him vain, but could be just pride, backed by superior deeds." He snorted. "I've been talking to Palla too much. He prefers brain ticklers like that, he and Verun both. It's a wonder none of our brains fizzled listening to them debate."

 

The redhead laughed. "Guess I didn't fully introduce myself. I'm Robin of Pelinna, one of the Twelve Crusaders and all that rot, but you can call me Robin Hood, or just Robin." A pained look crossed his face. "Please don't do anything weird now like bowing or asking for my signature. I've had quite enough of that for a lifetime. It's part of the reason I decided to move back here."

 

Meanwhile, Ahri's ears flattened in sorrow, her face curling into a pout as Alois spoke. "Sorry kid, but I don't think we can. Don't get me wrong, real nice place you got and definitely fancier than I'm used to but, we still got things to do and only happened upon here by accident. So, uh, yeah."

 

"Oh...that's fine," she said, though it obviously wasn't. "Actually, not it isn't, why do you have to gooo?" she wailed, bursting into tears and clinging to his shirt. "I wish you could stay forever and ever and ever!"

 

The air seemed to ripple around the two, but the girl didn't seem to notice it, her sobbing intensifying by the minute.

 

--

 

Vulpi

"Um, s-sorry. Uh...um."

 

Sandara already started to look regretful when she saw the girl's expression, and Penelope's words did not help, nor did Link's expression as he placed himself between the bow thief and themselves.

 

"I apologize, Chief Rufus, Lady Sandara, if there is any insult in what I say. However from all I have seen I no longer believe that this could have been done by anyone other than a fox. As for Inari, herself...you say that she hasn't been seen alive in such a long time. However has she been seen dead? And similarly, she has no known descendants but it is certainly possible one exists that was never mentioned. Of course, there are also two other possible answers. One, a misguided follower. Two, someone who wishes to start a war with the frogs." She looked directly at Rufus. "What do you think?"

 

"Whoever stole the beads clearly wants to start a conflict..." Sienna thought for a second and seemed to have a bit of an idea. "If the fox tribe... And the frog tribe... Were to weaken or destroy themselves in a war... Where would that leave the other tribe?"

 

"Enough! Such things are impossible, though maybe a hedgehog...but they aren't nearly as bad as those frogs!" Rufus snarled, face purpling in rage. For a second, he looked just as he had before, face wild with feral aggression. However, he took a deep breath soon after, and a glance at Sandara and Sienna seemed to calm him down even more. "There is nothing more to be gained from staying here, and it is late," he said, and it was a clear dismissal. "I will call for Licorice to escort you back to the village."

 

"I apologize," Sandara said, "My husband has been stressed of late, as well as I, and I ask you to forgive this discourtesy. You may sleep at our house and hopefully we will all be the better for a good night's sleep."

 

Soon after, the black Protean arrived, leading the group through a doorway that had so far remained hidden. Rufus and Sandara stayed behind, and the last they would see of the pair would be the peach-colored fox muttering something to the other, her brow puckered in confusion. The group then walked down a path that seemed to take them a lot less time than they had used going up the hill before, and not long after, they arrived at the chieftain's house, where they were then led to what looked like a guest bedroom, and Remy led to a small adjoining stable. There were four beds that were, oddly enough, on the floor. Sienna would be led to her own bedroom.

 

Licorice left briefly after the group had gotten situated, but returned to bid them a goodnight before leaving once more.

 

The night would be quiet for the humans, but Sienna would be woken up by a sharp headache in the middle of the night.

 

[spoiler=OOC]

Team Broască and Team Vulpe

You are now settling down to sleep. Post with your characters' reactions to recent events and stuff.

 

Alois and Gunther

Gunther has just received a startling revelation and Alois now has to deal with a crying child.

 

 

[Yui]

---

It had taken a bit longer than Azar had expected, but eventually, the team finally got to the fox village. Where they were met with the sight of a fox being scolded by some woman. Seemed they'd done something they weren't supposed to. Wait, she recognized that one... these were the foxes from earlier. Based on the conversation between the girl fox and Catriona, they were turning out to be far more hospitable than Azar had initially imagined. They were being offered to see their companions again easy peasy, and Edrick was even given permission to explain his suspicions to the chieftain himself.

 

I guess we're not fighting an entire village after all, Azar thought to herself as she and her group were shown to what was once an inn. Alright. Gives me time to reapply my spells to my body.

 

 

"First. Let me say that I am sorry for how things began with us. We've had a stressful day, and very much want to see our friends again. Second, let me introduce myself. I am Edrick Roransson, the Princess's man. This is Shiro, our guide and the representative of the frogs in this. This is Azar, a witch who I must respect if only for her power. And lastly this is Crown Princess Catriona Nabudis. We do not wish to be your enemies, and instead would join you against a common foe. Look upon me, know whom I serve, and know that my Mistress does not abide lies."

 

"Shaman," Azar curtly corrected. "Azar Soravati, Isaurian shaman looking for a missing person and trying to revolutionize magic as we know it."

 

She paid little mind to the brief discussion between the foxes about what Edrick may have meant by "the princess's man". Even Azar had to admit, he could have phrased that one a bit better. However, her attention was very much on the fox woman when she returned. "Your friends have returned from the shrine. You will be able to see them tomorrow."

 

They even brought food. It wasn't the type of stuff Azar was used to, but she had to admit, it was pretty good stuff. She briefly considered getting some sort of recipe from the foxes before leaving, but while Azar was a girl of many talents, cooking wasn't exactly on that list. She was more the type for magic, hard labor, and fighting. Being able to be reunited with the rest of the group tomorrow was good though. Azar would be able to sleep well tonight, though these weren't the people she was looking to be reunited with.

 

Before I sleep... Azar turned her attention to Edrick. She had still never gotten her chance to talk to him about magic like she wanted to. "Edrick. I need a moment with you; I've got some questions."

---

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

Gunther stared, wide-eyed, at the man in front of him. No, the hero in front of him. Is this why Alois had acted as he had before? How...how could it be? What was this place? Some kind of trick? Even having been with Penelope all this time he had never heard of such a powerful magic that it could transport you back in time.

 

He knew that he was reacting obviously shocked but he couldn't help it. How was he supposed to deal with this? It was so far beyond his expectations and knowledge that he couldn't even begin to work out what he should do.

 

Finally he managed to croak out. "It's good to meet you, sir. Would you mind if I...sat down, for a while. I find myself feeling...out of sorts. I did not expect this day to go this way." That was the understatement of the year. Suddenly, he found himself worried about Alois. What was happening to him? He had left his ally alone in this...unusual place. "I hope my friend is alright."

---

 

Penelope flinched at the chieftain's sudden outrage. She became silent suddenly, looking away from the enraged...animalistic man. She hadn't wanted to anger anyone, and she felt her confidence slip as the man responded in such a way. Still, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but to feel suspicious about how he has acted. Especially with how he has twice now almost lost control like that.

 

"I apologize," Sandara said, "My husband has been stressed of late, as well as I, and I ask you to forgive this discourtesy. You may sleep at our house and hopefully we will all be the better for a good night's sleep."

 

"I have seen my father need to deal with stress before. Though, I cannot say I've seen him quite like that." Penelope responded. True, stress could be the cause, but this man seemed to be hiding something for certain. She didn't like the way that they looked when the black Protean came to speak with them, but she knew better than to poke her head into it at this juncture.

 

Once in the chieftain's house, before they went to bed, and when Penelope was sure it was just them, she asked Sienna as casually as possible. "Has your father been this stressed before? Is he usually like that?"

 

"Goodnight, Licorice." Penelope said with a smile towards the girl when she returned to bid them goodnight. It was amusing in a way how friendly the one who had grabbed her had been. In the guest bedroom, Penelope lay on the bed. She placed her sword, which had not left its sheath in quite some time, at her side. She sighed as she looked at it but didn't do anymore more. Closing her eyes, the girl tried to sleep.

[Wind Rider]

"Enough! Such things are impossible, though maybe a hedgehog...but they aren't nearly as bad as those frogs!" Sienna was slightly frightened, never in her life has she seen her father become so aggressive. He seemed to calm down after a minute, thankfully. "There is nothing more to be gained from staying here, and it is late," he said, and it was a clear dismissal. "I will call for Licorice to escort you back to the village."

 

And that was that, for now at least. Sienna could only hope that this incident would be settled soon, she hated to see all this aggression, from her father and her village. Licorice lead the group through a hidden path and they soon arrived back at the chieftain's house, Sienna yawned a little and couldn't wait to get some rest. Before she was lead to her room by Licorice, Penelope stopped her. "Has your father been this stressed before? Is he usually like that?"

 

Sienna thought for a second and shook her head. "He's never been like this... Things have changed so much since I've been away..." she responded sadly. "I just hope... This madness ends... For everyone's sakes..." she added before following after Licorice. She settled into her room and put her beaststone beside her bed before crawling under the covers. The night proved uneasy for her however as she awoke to another piercing headache like before. She groaned with discomfort as she held her head, tonight was gonna be a long night.

[Alaina]

 

Alois wasn't sure how exactly the girl was about to take the news, but the answer seemed to be poorly. As the girl began to start weeping, Alois wasn't actually sure how to handle a crying child. The worst, but probably easiest solution, was to make a retreat and let the girl cry it out. Though, as he began to look around he saw the air...ripple? That was certainly not normal, and things only started to get worse as time, and the girl's crying, went on. Alois was pretty sure that was a bad thing. Still, he couldn't exactly agree to staying here forever, since that felt like it carried a whole other set of issues. So, bending down, Alois merely pat the fox girl's head. "Listen, kiddo. If I told you you could choose between either traveling with me and the big guy or living with Robin, you'd choose him right? 'Cause you're like, best friends or something, I don't really know." He quickly got off that before saying, "anyway, it's the same for me. I can't stay because as nice as this place is, I got...friends," the boy seemed to struggle to admit the fact, "that I have to travel with. So, I can't just leave them. And besides, they need me there as well. I kind of keep everything running," the boy joked. "So yeah, but hey, maybe I can see about visiting this place once in awhile?" While he wasn't be disingenuous in his offer, it didn't change the fact that he had absolutely no idea how he got here to begin with, let alone coming back. Or leaving for that matter.

 

 

Tsetseg's dejected attitude didn't last for long as White Haired Friend had seemed to congratulate her on her findings, and Green Man tried to assure her. Getting a spring back in her step, the girl merely nodded along as the white haired girl continued to speak, not really sure what she was nodding to and more so just doing it out of instinct. All the same, the leader of the fluffy tails seemed to still be incredibly frustrated, and merely dismissed the group from the shrine. Keeping the white strand of hair in her pocket, the girl walked alongside everyone else as they made their way back to their rooms. As she bid a rather emphatic good night to both Licorice and Sienna, the went to her bed. Placing her bow to the side, the girl merely plopped herself in bed and likely to most's surprise, instantly fell asleep.

[Asriel Dreemurr]

"So you're eloping then?" was probably the last response Edrick had expected his introduction to elicit from either of the foxes, and it left him dumbstruck for a moment. He found himself looking back and forth between the foxes and Catriona, as if looking for some sort of answer from either of them. Out of every reason he had considered for Inera delivering him to the princesses' party on that day he never would have even guessed that as an option. Not that he found Catriona unattractive just...why was he trying to justify this to himself? Was he actually considering that when they had known each other for less than a month? Thankfully the other of the foxes interrupted his thought process, though his insistence that their business was their own suggested he perhaps believed what his companion had said.

 

"Your friends have returned from the shrine. You will be able to see them tomorrow." Thankfully that statement brought along its own worries to distract him from the supposition that he and Catriona were to be wed, such as the worry that they might actually not be able to see their friends in the morning. Not to mention that this could appear to their Frog hosts as them being captured or worse, and he did not want to think about how badly that could turn things here in the forest against them. Though he could see the reason behind them staying here, it would be very difficult for them to safely reach the frogs that night, and the difficulties in getting there could actually lead to them being taken captive or worse. So Edrick passed the rest of the evening ill-at-ease, but willing to be patient for the time being. The food they were brought looked, and tasted, strange to him, in particular the rice. The hundreds of tiny grains of it that he ate, and that tasted like very little at all, were probably what left the greatest impression on him out of everything. When they were left alone, Edrick found himself a somewhat private spot to set up the bedroll he had been given, he was not sure that it was appropriate to sleep anywhere near Catriona at the moment, and knelt down upon it to pray. If one were to ask him what he was praying later, he would likely not be able to answer. Though he was praying, for once his mind and heart were not focused on his faith. Instead all sorts of worldly things weighed upon him tonight, and prevented the prayers from relaxing him enough to sleep. 

 

"Edrick. I need a moment with you." Whatever little peace he had managed to give himself was shattered by the witch- shaman's- words. "I've got some questions." Of course she did. Sighing, and doing his best to at least try and be polite, he turned around to face her and settled down to sit instead of kneel. A shepherd could not always choose their flock, and The Goddess had delivered this one to him. He would not presume to guess at her plan.

 

"Of course." He said, trying to sound friendly and probably failing in the moment. A combination of the stress of the day and the searing reminder of the dangers of dark magic on his back. Only now did it occur to him that he had not bothered to so much as look at the injury...or even remove his Gambeson to air it out. "Ask me whatever you want, and I'll do my best to answer."

[Hakima]

---

Link didn’t budge when faced with the chieftain’s anger. Outrage was the defense mechanism of the righteous and the guilty, and the Protean didn’t strike the soldier as all that righteous. Why was he so eager to condemn the frogs, Link wondered, but no immediate answer came to him.

 

You may sleep at our house and hopefully we will all be the better for a good night's sleep.""I apologize," Sandara said, "My husband has been stressed of late, as well as I, and I ask you to forgive this discourtesy.

 

He bent at the knee and dipped his head respectfully to the older Protean woman. Leadership was a crippling mantle to wear sometimes, something he had experienced firsthand with the Garou. He admired anyone that could bear the burden gracefully, but he wasn’t foolish enough to expect everyone to handle it so well. Rufus seemed to be a well-intentioned, albeit angry, man. Still, something about him didn’t sit right with the soldier.

 

When they arrived at Rufus’ house and the girls headed to bed, Link allowed his composure to slip for just a moment. His mask fell away, and he sighed and ran a hand through his tangled hair. His bones still ached from the cold water, and he could feel the telltale signs of exhaustion creeping up on him, pressure building behind his eyes and a weight on his shoulders that he couldn’t shake. He needed to sleep for a night, having missed the last two days, but someone had to stand watch for the night.

 

Once you commit to something, don’t stop until you’ve seen it to the end, boy, he could hear Rusl grumble in the back of his mind.

 

He was right, there was a job to be done.

 

Link pulled his hat back on and took up his position in the upper left corner of the room, the one area that an intruder couldn’t immediately see when they opened the door, and leaned into the shadows. The first thing to come through the door unannounced wouldn’t live to regret it.

---

[King K. Azo]

It seemed the comment Shiro made angered the foxes, as they looked ready to attack. He stood up, ready to defend, but to his surprise, the princess was ready to fight beside him. That struck him as a bit odd, but then again, he was allies with them. He needed to get used to that. Edrick however, had some silver tongue that allowed him to smooth over the situation. Thinking about it, weren't princesses supposed to have that silver tongue? Oh well, in the end, he supposed it didn't matter.

Still, the foxes, as much as he despised to admit it, asked a good question. Where Edrick and the princess eloping? It would explain a lot. A hot headed princess having a cool headed peasant to calm her down. Opposites truly attracted, apparently? He didn't know. 

What he did know was that there was no fight, so he slid back into his corner, a place where no fox could stab him from behind. Shockingly, they fed them, but Shiro, not being one to trust the foxes, didn't touch his food. The others were eating, but... well, the foxes didn't have anything against them. Just him. He stayed quiet until the moment everyone fell asleep. Shiro, however, couldn't sleep here. It wasn't just the splitting headache that would keep him from sleeping, but the fact he didn't trust the foxes not to come in and stab him in his sleep. No, he would stay awake all night if he had to, even with this mind splitting headache.

[Alaina]

 

While Tsetseg had managed to fall asleep pretty instantly, just as quickly as it had occurred so too did she awake once more. The girl wasn't quite sure why, as it hadn't been long at all, though she didn't feel particularly tired. Regardless, she attempted to fall back asleep once again, though, she realized she was getting nowhere in that regard. She wasn't quite sure what it was that was keeping her awake, but she felt troubled by it. Getting up, the girl looked around to see that the Blue Haired Meanie and her White Haired Friend both seemed to be asleep. Looking around, though, she hadn't seen green hat man around at all. Realizing this, the girl looked around trying to find where he was, positive he was with them before. After a few moments had passed, her eyes had locked onto the figure in the shadows, realizing that Green Man had been in the corner this whole time. Both troubled and confused by this, the girl got herself out of bed. 

 

Finding the corner opposite to his, the girl settled in it, trying to lie back for a bit. Closing her eyes, the girl attempted to get herself more settled into the corner, but realized something very quickly. This was not comfortable at all. Tip toeing with more grace and less noise then one would expect from the energetic girl, not wanting to awake any of her other companions, she made her way over to Green Man. Looking at him, she whispered, "hey Green Man, hey, hey. Are you awake?" It was obvious before she even asked him that he was. "So like, I couldn't get to sleep, so I saw you and was like, 'maybe the corner is a better place to sleep,' but it wasn't. So I was like, 'maybe Green Man has some sort of super awesome corner sleeping technique.' So why are you in the corner instead of like, a bed. Because those are comfier. Is it because you have some sort of cool corner sleeping technique?" The girl's tone and expression seemed to be far more curious and filled with wonder than anything else.