They don't want to see me...
He sang the song and danced his very clumsy dance as the chew-mixture was stirred by
The Wraith Grass he had found over in Ol'Tucks run was providing a quieting effect on the consumer and the Veternum Plant was offering its unique oderlessness to the
Chow helped sing the song as they progressed through the process and as the mixture cooled and began to seal in the properties, they began to shape the chews. "How many of these have you have now?" The boy asked as he watched Winston quickly shape the chews into perfectly even little round balls, coated in powdered sugar.
Winston looked over his shoulder. "Dis will be me second batch... so twelve."
"They take a lot more effort than the old ones." He observed thoughtfully.
"Yeah. Dem's a lat mar in dem. Me wud prabably nat try to squeeze anyting else intuh a single Chew. Poshuns and fud are less stable den items yuh see."
The two alchemists packaged up the remaining things and put away the glyph, marking off their use in the ledger to ensure they got recharged when needed.
"Right, dat's me done far de trial. Me gat an appointment tuh keep at de arphanage." He announced as he hopped down from the stool and hung up his apron.
"I'm going to stay and work on the order from Sweetsong if that's OK?" Said the boy as he started getting the forge re-fired ready for smelting.
"Nooooooh prablem. Chest will be comin' wid meh, bot yuh welcome to come alang if yuh please." He replied as he made his way towards the door.
The boy nodded happily as he got on with his preparations and the ferret made his way out and into the open woods of Sweetsong.
The trials were growing less warm these trials, not cold, but the regular heat of the suns was being replaced with a cool and inviting breeze of the harvest season. It hinted as the less appealing frosts of Zi'da, of course, but fortunately, they were still a very long way off.
The two companions ambled their way towards the orphanage. It was a fair distance, but manageable in a trial.
As they approached Luna's Dream Orphanage, the familiar sound of children playing rang out over the garden surrounding the cottage.
"CHEEEEEEEEESSSST!" Came the cry from a crowd of small people as that spotted their approach. A wide grin formed on winston's face as the children began to run towards them. "Children, don't run off." Called out Felicia Hounsworth, the manageress of Luna's dream, in a stern but caring tone.
Like a small pack of jumping beans, the boys and girls all stopped and gathered, waiting for them to come in range for the assault, which commenced the moment they were within arms reach. "Chest, yay!... Can I have a ride?... What's THAT?... I TOLD you it had legs... Chest won't LIKE you if you call them 'it'!... Can I see your teeth?... How much toes does you have?..."
The manageress smiled sweetly and suppressed a chuckle. "How MANY toes DO they have, Charles. Remember. If you can count them, we say 'many', if you would not, we say 'much'."
The boy looked at her in surprise. "But miss, have you SEE how... Uh, many, toes Chest has? No-one could count THAT high. It's like... more than LOTS!" Neither of the adults present could argue with the logic. Even Winston had never counted all of Chest's toes and getting them to remain still long enough to do so might genuinely be something no one could achieve. Winston shrugged at the woman, admitting his defiet and the teacher changed the subject. "Come along children! Let our guests have space to come in."
Most of the children parted to make way for the pair, some darted off waving for them to follow, eagar to show them things around the gardens and play. "Miss-Miss! Can they stey to play? Please! Oh please can we play outsiiiide?"
Felicia gestured towards Winston with a polite and reproachful smile."Well, as long as you are kind and considerate, but you need not ask me..." The children almost popped, before quickly trying to contain their excitement long enough to ask politely of their guests for they consent to play. This was achieved with varying amounts of success and the younger and less disciplined of the group continued to giggle and fidget.
As a chorus, they asked... "Will you play with us? Pleeeeaaase?..."
Winston chuckled... They were not asking him, so he hopped down and patted
Catching the attention of the manageress, he gestured for them to move aside to talk privately. "Winston, it's so good to see you both." She began, referring to him and Chest together. "How are you?"
He smiled as he hopped up onto a stool over by the house. "Gud tanks. De place es lookin' very nice." He offered as he looked around, as if its state was of some surprise to him. The attempt was quite transparent for the woman to see through, as she knew all to well that he had instructed the repairs.
"Quite. Whomever it is that is so beneficent with their nel should know that within these walls, they are held with an esteem that would rival the Immortals themselves." He replied with a most genuine gratitude.
He shrugged. "Me es pretty share dat dem probably very 'appy dat yuh es doin' soch impartent work." He smiled innocently. "Me wus wonderin' ef yuh 'ad time tuh look intuh de adapshun?"
The woman nodded. "Yes. I mean there's really not going to be any hugely formal process, but having registered her with the orphanage, we can now also record your adoption of Angela when you are ready." He nodded happily. "Have you told her yet?"
He shook his head. "Me will be ASKING 'er, nat tellin'..." He began with a friendly nod. "but noh, nat yet. Me jost wanted tuh be certain she wud want tuh."
The teacher frowned an expression of mild confusion on her face. "What do you mean? She adorse you."
He bobbed his head up and down. "I know, I know. Bot dat does nat mean she wants me as a parent. Anyway, was does me know about being a parent? I mean, meh only come up tuh 'er knee. An' dat's only if I stretch."
She shook her head, quite clearly telling him off. "As I have already told you many times. You will be a blessing to anyone lucky enough to have you in their life my good Cadouri. Either way, you won't know unless you ask her."
He could only agree with the latter half of her statement. "Dat es true enough."
The two of them looked out over the garden as one child lept from Chest and landed on a ground of other childeren. "Jennefer! You cannot fly!"
"Yes miss. SORRY miss!"
Winston chuckled. "How is Angela adjusting now?" She referred to her loss, of course. There was probably no way to ever get used to loosing both your parents, however she was doing well despite it and perhaps that was good enough for now?
"Me tink she es doing OK. She es keepin' busy an' she visits dem at de docks regularly. She tink's me don't know, af cars, bot me make share she always takes a packed lunch."
"I'm sure she probably knows all to well that you know where she's going and very much appriciates your support." The woman countered.
He simply shrugged. "De Cooking Competition really 'elped give er direcshun, but she's recently last a littal af dat drive. Me tink she needs a new challenge...."
Felicia nodded slowly. All to sadly, she had been required to come to terms with the fact that children, however happy that may seem, didn't end up in her care out of a simple and happy beginning. Placing them in the care of good people like Winston however was about the pinnacle of any work she could ever do for them. "I'm very sure you will work it out, together."
With that, the two of them sat, watched the children and Chest play and talked about recent events. Winston took some time to
After this he made his way to leave... As he went, he secretly placed a small pouch of coin on Felicia desk. There was no mystery in it. The woman knew where the coin came from and winston knew she knew, but as per their arrangement, the only thing he asked for in return was anonymity. He wanted no gratitude from the children for anything but his time and cake... not his coin, which they deserved without gratitude.
Smokie
. The glyphs set out around the forge
shimmered as the properties from the new ingredients for his improved stealth chews took affect.The Wraith Grass he had found over in Ol'Tucks run was providing a quieting effect on the consumer and the Veternum Plant was offering its unique oderlessness to the
stealth chews
to prevent a person being tracked by scent.Chow helped sing the song as they progressed through the process and as the mixture cooled and began to seal in the properties, they began to shape the chews. "How many of these have you have now?" The boy asked as he watched Winston quickly shape the chews into perfectly even little round balls, coated in powdered sugar.
Winston looked over his shoulder. "Dis will be me second batch... so twelve."
"They take a lot more effort than the old ones." He observed thoughtfully.
"Yeah. Dem's a lat mar in dem. Me wud prabably nat try to squeeze anyting else intuh a single Chew. Poshuns and fud are less stable den items yuh see."
The two alchemists packaged up the remaining things and put away the glyph, marking off their use in the ledger to ensure they got recharged when needed.
"Right, dat's me done far de trial. Me gat an appointment tuh keep at de arphanage." He announced as he hopped down from the stool and hung up his apron.
"I'm going to stay and work on the order from Sweetsong if that's OK?" Said the boy as he started getting the forge re-fired ready for smelting.
"Nooooooh prablem. Chest will be comin' wid meh, bot yuh welcome to come alang if yuh please." He replied as he made his way towards the door.
The boy nodded happily as he got on with his preparations and the ferret made his way out and into the open woods of Sweetsong.
The trials were growing less warm these trials, not cold, but the regular heat of the suns was being replaced with a cool and inviting breeze of the harvest season. It hinted as the less appealing frosts of Zi'da, of course, but fortunately, they were still a very long way off.
The two companions ambled their way towards the orphanage. It was a fair distance, but manageable in a trial.
As they approached Luna's Dream Orphanage, the familiar sound of children playing rang out over the garden surrounding the cottage.
"CHEEEEEEEEESSSST!" Came the cry from a crowd of small people as that spotted their approach. A wide grin formed on winston's face as the children began to run towards them. "Children, don't run off." Called out Felicia Hounsworth, the manageress of Luna's dream, in a stern but caring tone.
Like a small pack of jumping beans, the boys and girls all stopped and gathered, waiting for them to come in range for the assault, which commenced the moment they were within arms reach. "Chest, yay!... Can I have a ride?... What's THAT?... I TOLD you it had legs... Chest won't LIKE you if you call them 'it'!... Can I see your teeth?... How much toes does you have?..."
The manageress smiled sweetly and suppressed a chuckle. "How MANY toes DO they have, Charles. Remember. If you can count them, we say 'many', if you would not, we say 'much'."
The boy looked at her in surprise. "But miss, have you SEE how... Uh, many, toes Chest has? No-one could count THAT high. It's like... more than LOTS!" Neither of the adults present could argue with the logic. Even Winston had never counted all of Chest's toes and getting them to remain still long enough to do so might genuinely be something no one could achieve. Winston shrugged at the woman, admitting his defiet and the teacher changed the subject. "Come along children! Let our guests have space to come in."
Most of the children parted to make way for the pair, some darted off waving for them to follow, eagar to show them things around the gardens and play. "Miss-Miss! Can they stey to play? Please! Oh please can we play outsiiiide?"
Felicia gestured towards Winston with a polite and reproachful smile."Well, as long as you are kind and considerate, but you need not ask me..." The children almost popped, before quickly trying to contain their excitement long enough to ask politely of their guests for they consent to play. This was achieved with varying amounts of success and the younger and less disciplined of the group continued to giggle and fidget.
As a chorus, they asked... "Will you play with us? Pleeeeaaase?..."
Winston chuckled... They were not asking him, so he hopped down and patted
Chest
affectionately, whom then proceeded to spit out a few balls and trot about aimlessly, opening and closing it toothy maw, much to the delight of the children, which began to clamber all over them.Catching the attention of the manageress, he gestured for them to move aside to talk privately. "Winston, it's so good to see you both." She began, referring to him and Chest together. "How are you?"
He smiled as he hopped up onto a stool over by the house. "Gud tanks. De place es lookin' very nice." He offered as he looked around, as if its state was of some surprise to him. The attempt was quite transparent for the woman to see through, as she knew all to well that he had instructed the repairs.
"Quite. Whomever it is that is so beneficent with their nel should know that within these walls, they are held with an esteem that would rival the Immortals themselves." He replied with a most genuine gratitude.
He shrugged. "Me es pretty share dat dem probably very 'appy dat yuh es doin' soch impartent work." He smiled innocently. "Me wus wonderin' ef yuh 'ad time tuh look intuh de adapshun?"
The woman nodded. "Yes. I mean there's really not going to be any hugely formal process, but having registered her with the orphanage, we can now also record your adoption of Angela when you are ready." He nodded happily. "Have you told her yet?"
He shook his head. "Me will be ASKING 'er, nat tellin'..." He began with a friendly nod. "but noh, nat yet. Me jost wanted tuh be certain she wud want tuh."
The teacher frowned an expression of mild confusion on her face. "What do you mean? She adorse you."
He bobbed his head up and down. "I know, I know. Bot dat does nat mean she wants me as a parent. Anyway, was does me know about being a parent? I mean, meh only come up tuh 'er knee. An' dat's only if I stretch."
She shook her head, quite clearly telling him off. "As I have already told you many times. You will be a blessing to anyone lucky enough to have you in their life my good Cadouri. Either way, you won't know unless you ask her."
He could only agree with the latter half of her statement. "Dat es true enough."
The two of them looked out over the garden as one child lept from Chest and landed on a ground of other childeren. "Jennefer! You cannot fly!"
"Yes miss. SORRY miss!"
Winston chuckled. "How is Angela adjusting now?" She referred to her loss, of course. There was probably no way to ever get used to loosing both your parents, however she was doing well despite it and perhaps that was good enough for now?
"Me tink she es doing OK. She es keepin' busy an' she visits dem at de docks regularly. She tink's me don't know, af cars, bot me make share she always takes a packed lunch."
"I'm sure she probably knows all to well that you know where she's going and very much appriciates your support." The woman countered.
He simply shrugged. "De Cooking Competition really 'elped give er direcshun, but she's recently last a littal af dat drive. Me tink she needs a new challenge...."
Felicia nodded slowly. All to sadly, she had been required to come to terms with the fact that children, however happy that may seem, didn't end up in her care out of a simple and happy beginning. Placing them in the care of good people like Winston however was about the pinnacle of any work she could ever do for them. "I'm very sure you will work it out, together."
With that, the two of them sat, watched the children and Chest play and talked about recent events. Winston took some time to
recharge
their Saiore's Dream portal, a process he did as often as needed to ensure they could get to Dream for their education and emergency.After this he made his way to leave... As he went, he secretly placed a small pouch of coin on Felicia desk. There was no mystery in it. The woman knew where the coin came from and winston knew she knew, but as per their arrangement, the only thing he asked for in return was anonymity. He wanted no gratitude from the children for anything but his time and cake... not his coin, which they deserved without gratitude.
All template credit, love and admiration goes to Pyrre Ej'qy
