#aurianna

Sunshine filtered through the canopy of the forest, dimly lighting the simple footpath that had been trodden through the undergrowth. A gentle and warm breeze wound its way around the eclectic group of people making their way through it towards the edges of a small village nestled snugly within the seemingly neverending forest.

"Remind me again why I've been dragged back to this godsdamned plane?" Meredith groused, readjusting the pack on her shoulder for the millionth time. Snotgrut's left ear twitched, but he didn't look back at the grumpy dwarven woman as he replied,

"You didn't ask where I was planning on going." He pointed out. The goblin briefly turned his head to frown in confusion at the cleric, "I'm not sure why you're so upset anyway. From what I heard, you guys are going to be very welcome here. Way more welcome than I was during my last visit anyway." 

Felix skipped ahead of the others until he fell in step beside his goblin friend,

"You'll be just as welcome as we are, Snotgrut." The gnome stated happily, beaming at his fellow Arcane Trickster, "The elves of Arborea have long memories and won't have forgotten what you did for them the last time you were here."

"Aye, that's the problem." Meredith grumbled, glancing over to Elowyn. Elowyn glanced back at her friend with a tight smile,

"If I'd known this is where Snotgrut's 'errand' was going to take us, I'd have happily stayed home with you." She sighed. The woodling glanced up at the sparkling spires of a temple to Deep Sachellas that had now come into view. Aurianna, who was currently riding on Elowyn's shoulder in kitten form, nuzzled into her neck with a reassuring purr,

"If we asked them nicely, I'm sure Felix and Snotgrut can create some sort of distraction if you get too overwhelmed and need an escape." The dragon-turned-kitten suggested. Elowyn scratched Aurianna behind an ear,

"They might end up creating one anyway." She pointed out, "You know as well as I do what usually happens when those two are in the same place for more than half an hour." Meredith snorted and smiled for the first time since arriving on the elven plane,

"Aye, well, you'd ken better than me." She said. Quentin suppressed his own snort,

"Why would you guys even need a distraction anyway?" He asked, "Well, I can think of why Elowyn might want one, but I'm not sure why you'd need one. Unless…" The elve's eyes narrowed as Meredith stayed quiet, an embarrassed flush spreading across her face under her beard. Elowyn, catching Quentin's expression out of the corner of her eye, immediately stepped in front of Meredith, as the dwarf's embarrassed expression dropped into one of outraged offence,

"Oh, Gods, no!" She exclaimed, "None of us had any time for that kind of activity. Well… 'Zeage might have, but definitely not the rest of us." She stated, her words coming out far more quickly than she intended. 

Felix and Snotgrut had stopped and turned to see what the commotion was about at this point and were staring at their three friends. Snotgrut with a look of befuddled confusion and Felix with a sudden look of understanding. The gomish man looked back towards the spires,

"Oh! I think I understand now. This is the same village we stayed in the first time we came here." Felix turned back to Snotgrut, "After Merri managed to use some God Clay to resurrect Deep Sachellas, the elves here were so grateful they pretty much declared her to be some sort of Living Saint." He explained. He looked back towards the path leading to the village, "I wonder if they finished that statue they were talking about making?" He murmured. 

Snotgrut blinked as Felix rattled off his one-sided conversation slash explanation. He had, of course, known about that particular incident. The gnome had told him all about it during their last visit to Arborea, after all. It just hadn't occurred to the goblin that Meredith might be embarrassed about it. He cocked his head as he considered what to do about it. Another warm breeze brushed over him, allowing some of the eternally summer sunshine to drop directly onto him. The goblin sighed and shook his head, 

"None of you have to come into the village, but I don't think any of you will be able to get food, drinks or beds out here." He called, pointedly ignoring Quentin's call of 'I'm pretty sure I can!', spinning smartly on his heel and marching up the footpath. Felix scrambled after him, grinning happily. Quentin shrugged and quickly strode off after the goblin and gnome.

Meredith grumbled, uncrossing her arms and gesturing for Elowyn and Aurianna to follow,

"We might as well get this over with." She groused. Elowyn sighed and nodded. The quicker they all got there, the quicker they could escape again.

“I wanna play wi’ bwock!”

“It’s ma block!”

“But I wantit!”

“Mama said not to snatch!”

Hilde rubbed her temple as the argument between her little brother and her nephew escalated. She had forgotten how...bratty the children of the Ironforge clan could be when they were this young. The head of a Woodling popped through the door, concern written over her features,

“Who’s getting kidnapped?” she asked. Hilde glanced over to her guest and shook her head,

“Nobody.” she replied shortly, “The weans are havin’ trouble sharin’ their toys.” At that moment, Gavid threw a toy cart that had been nearby at Dagrun, which hit the older child on the arm. Dagrun screamed at such a high pitch that Aurianna had to clap her hands over her ears. Hilde sighed, the last of her patience wearing thin,

“A’right, that’s enough, the pair o’ ye!” she snapped, striding over to the mat where the two dwarflets had been playing. She grabbed Gavid’s hand before he could pick up another item to throw, “Gavid! We do not throw our toys!” Gavid squirmed in his aunt’s grip, and started screaming as well,

“Nonono!” Hilde ignored the younger of the pair and rounded on Dagrun, who was wailing loudly and holding his arm,

“An’ you should ken better! The toys that have been left here are for ye both!”

“B… but I wis use… usin’ it first!” he bawled. Hilde growled,

“I dinna care who wis usin’ what first!” she snapped. She looked over to Aurianna, who was hovering in the doorway, “D’ye think ye can make sure that Dagrun’s arm’s alright, hen?” I’ve got ma hands full with this one.” she asked, nodding to Gavid, who was still squirming in his aunt’s grip and screaming his little head off at the restraint,

“Wanna play! Wanna play!” The younger dwarflet’s face was turning bright red and clashing with the strawberry blonde of his hair and fluffy scraps of beard. Aurianna nodded and strode over to Dagrun, gingerly taking his hand. The sandy-haired dwarflet sniffled and used his free arm to wipe his nose on the sleeve of his tunic as the dragon-come-woodling led him out of the sitting room and into the kitchen.

Hilde groaned, she was sure that babysitting hadn’t been this hard when she was younger and looking after Meredith and Dugal while they were still little. She yelped as she felt a sudden pinch in her hand and swivelled her head in time to see Gavid release his mouth from her wrist. His pudgy face was scrunched up in the unhappiest frown Hilde had seen yet, his eyes now turning slightly bloodshot because he had been crying so hard. Hilde took a deep breath through her nose, and closed her eyes,

“Moradin, give me strength.” she muttered, before glaring at the two year old, “Gavid, no! We do not bite!” she said sternly. Ignoring the defiant scream coming from the dwarflet, she picked him up with her free arm, “Right, since ye canna play nice, we’re gonna go an’ sit on the step.” Gavid kicked and let out another scream,

“No step! No step!” he wailed. Hilde ignored him and carried the squirming dwarflet to the hall, sat down on the third stair up and plonked her nephew down beside her, keeping a firm hand on his arm so he didn’t just run off. Aurianna poked her head through the kitchen door,

“If you like I can sit with him.” she offered, “Dagrun was fine, he just got a scare.” Hilde nodded,

“That’s something, but aye, if ye could keep this one here while I go and have a chat with ma wee brother.” Aurianna quickly scooted to the stair and took a hold of Gavid’s arm to allow Hilde to leave. The toddler attempted to climb from the stair he had been sat on, and screeched when Aurianna picked him up and put him back on.

“Wanna play!” he cried, starting to hiccough as he did. As soon as Hilde was through the door, Aurianna sighed, concentrated and changed into a slightly smaller version of her normal self. The dragon curled around the screaming child and rumbled a deep growl that shook the floor,

“Auntie Hilde said you needed to come to the step, Gavid.” she told him patiently, “You can’t play until you calm down.” When Gavid simply screamed in protest again, the gold dragon laid her head near his shoulder and started purring. After another few moments, Gavid had finally stopped screaming and sat down heavily, hiccoughing and sniffling,

“Want mama.” he keened. Aurianna moved her head a little closer so the child could lie on top of it. She glanced up at him,

“I know, mama will be home soon.” she assured the little boy, “Do you want to have a nap?” she asked. Gavid nodded, hugging the dragon’s head tightly and gripping some of the scales a little too hard. Aurianna gently lifted her head and allowed the sleepy toddler to slide off before she gingerly picked him up in her teeth, stood and deposited him on her back. Gavid mumbled sleepily as Aurianna gingerly moved into the sitting room, purring quietly to soothe the toddler into a proper sleep. Hilde looked up from her book and Dagrun from his puzzle as the gold dragon entered the room,

“Tired himself out then?” the older dwarf inquired. Aurianna nodded as she lay down near the fire, curled up and deposited Gavid on the floor next to her side,

“Yeah. All that tantruming really did a number on him.” she replied quietly. Hilde sighed,

“The joys o’ small children.” she grumbled, “Ach well, at least he’s asleep for now. He should be better behaved when he wakes up.” Aurianna looked down at Gavid,

“You wouldn’t think that such a small child could be so…” she trailed off. Hilde chuckled,

“Intense? Dwarf weans are at their worst from about two through to about seven years old. They’re too wee to really have a handle on their feelin’s yet. You should have seen some o’ Merri’s tantrums at that age. Gavid’s a total angel in comparison.” Aurianna gave the dwarven woman a scrutinising look, then shook her head,

Elowyn looked around her new office with a smile. It had taken more than a few years to get here, but the new Special Recondite Unit building had been finished. All that was left was to add a few finishing touches and the place would be perfect. Aurianna stretched out on the desk in cat form, the tip of her tail twitching as she rolled onto her side, amber eyes looking up at Elowyn,

“I’ve got to admit, this desk is incredibly comfortable.” the cat said, licking her lips then yawning widely. Elowyn placed her hands on her hips,

“You’ve got your own desk. All the Gods above, you need to spend less time as a cat if you’re going to steal my space like this.” Aurianna gave her paladin what could only be described as a satisfied, cat-ish smirk,

“Hate to break it to you Elowyn, but it isn’t limited to cats.” the young dragon pointed out, but she chastened as the woodling glared at her, “However, dragons are more amenable to reason than cats are.” she conceded, getting up and leaping off the mahogany surface. Elowyn rolled her eyes slightly,

“Your father is going to have a fit when he finds out how much I let you get away with.” she muttered as Aurianna wound around her legs before hopping up onto a chair instead. Aurianna twitched an ear in acknowledgement and started cleaning her paws. Elowyn frowned as she heard a surprised yelp from outside followed by a light ‘tap, tap, tap’ on the door. 

“Now who could that be?” she murmured, already walking towards the door. Her question was answered even before she opened the door, an annoyed squawk announcing the presence of the only bird that would bother coming all the way here. Elowyn glared at the magpie, who was perched on the back of a nearby chair as she opened the door,

“And why are you here?” she asked, noting the bent silver spoon clamped in the corvid’s beak, “Because if you think I’m going to let you have a nest in my office, you’ve got another thing coming.” Chrackle gave the woodling an irritated chuckle and made a dash for the opening in the door. Elowyn’s glare deepened as she tried to close the door on him, but was just a little too late. She huffed in annoyance and whirled around only to see Chrackle drop the spoon onto the desk and perch on top of the bookcase, glaring daggers at the woodling below him,

“Bring gift! Surprise!” the magpie croaked, his voice sounding almost disappointed in the welcome he’d received. Elowyn’s voice caught in her throat, the surprise at hearing her aunt’s familiar’s words making whatever she was about to yell die before it even reached her lips. Elowyn stared up at the corvid, her eyes wide,

“You… brought a gift? For me?” she stammered. The woodling shook her head to clear it and gave the magpie a more suspicious look, “This isn’t a trick to get me to let you build a nest in here is it?” she asked pointedly, recalling that everyone else in the now very extended family had to put up with the bird’s occasional and insufferable ‘visits’. Chrackle puffed himself up huffily,

“No.” he stated sharply, “You plenty of eyes on you. No need me.”  Elowyn blew out her cheeks in exasperation. Yes, Chrackle was quite right in his assessment, and Elowyn hated that he had pointed it out.

~I think he’s being quite genuine about the gift thing.~ Aurianna’s voice echoed in her head, ~Isn’t that his favourite spoon of all time?~Elowyn blinked as she looked at the spoon on her desk. Gingerly, she walked over, keeping an eye on Chrackle the whole time. The magpie seemed to relax a little and watched Elowyn in turn. When Chrackle didn’t make a move to protect ‘his shiny’ Elowyn cautiously picked the battered object up and inspected it. It took three lookovers before the woodling could finally admit that Aurianna was correct. This was the same spoon that Elowyn remembered seeing in Chrackle’s original nest in the inner sanctum of the Grand Magus’ office while Selene held the position. The spoon had apparently been old even then, most of the finer details having been rubbed off over time. But worn though it was, the original stamp was still visible on the back of the handle. Elowyn looked up at Chrackle, who nodded,

“First Shiny.” he confirmed, “You have. You deserve.” Elowyn opened her mouth to speak, but the words died in her throat at the sheer gratitude she felt. Aurianna chirped, grabbing the magpie’s attention as she translated the jumble of thoughts going through the new Captain’s head,

“Thank you very much for the gift Chrackle.” the dragon said sincerely, “Clearly this was something that meant a lot to you, so it means a lot to us. We’ll make sure it’s kept safe.” Chrackle nodded then looked back at Elowyn. The woodling was somewhat flushed in the face but she held her hand out. Chrackle fluttered down and landed on the extended arm, mindful of his claws around the comparatively slender appendage. Elowyn placed the spoon on the desk and tickled the bird under his beak. Chrackle croaked appreciatively at the sensation, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the attention. Elowyn, gently leaned her head so she was touching the corvid’s beak,

“I’m sorry Chrackle.” she murmured, “I really didn’t mean to offend you.” Chrackle chuckled softly,

“None taken.” he croaked, shaking his head as Elowyn raised her own head away, “Besides, mistress said not to make nest here. Said plenty of eyes already.” Elowyn huffed through her nose and rolled her eyes,

“Yeah, you said so earlier. No need to keep pointing it out.” she muttered. Chrackle croaked in an almost apologetic way,

“People just nervous. Mistress still being watched by others too. She no like it either.” Elowyn cracked a small smile at this revelation,

“No, I can’t imagine that she does.” she agreed, “But it does make me feel a bit better.” The woodling stroked the top of the magpie’s head for a moment before letting him flutter off to perch on the back of the chair Aurianna was lounging on. The magpie cleaned his beak on it then ruffled his feathers,

“Window please? Need to empty nests in old places.” he croaked. Elowyn chuckled, walked over to the large window at the side of the office and opened it,

“You’re a lot nicer to deal with when you’re being polite, you know. Maybe everyone else might not be so annoyed if you were like that all the time.” Chrackle cackled, sounding amused,

“Annoyed people tell secrets.” he pointed out before spreading his wings and dashing out of the window before Elowyn could ask him what he meant. Huffing a half-irritated, half-amused sigh, she closed the window again and watched as the tiny figure vanished around a corner,

“Might want to ask aunt Selene about that.” she muttered before shaking her head and turning her attention to Aurianna, “Wanna try out the landing space at the top of the tower?” she asked. The cat grinned, hopping off the chair she had commandeered and dashed towards the door in question, bottle-brush tail high in the air. Elowyn laughed as she followed after the cat, opened the door and climbed the stairs.