A forum for the Port Luskan role play

Watching from his hiding spot, Budster prepares to make a mad dash past the strange figure in the entrance way to the cave. When a second voice is heard outside of the cave, knowing in his current condition he has no chance against two people, so he waits and whilst the woman in the entrance attention is diverted by the newcomer Budster creeps further into the cave and down the side passage in the cave that leads him back around to the woods.
Crawling out of the small hole to the side of the waterfall, Budster creeps back up the hill to the bookshop. Peering into the window, he watches the two women inside.
Hearing foot steps approaching from behind, he quickly races back into the safety of the woods and watches as a third stranger appears heading also into the bookshop.
Waiting til the newest stranger enters the shop, he sneaks back to the window and peers in.
Catching a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the window. He sees a filthy dirty face covered in scratches with hair sticking up in every direction with bits of branches and leaves sticking out and remembers a time, when he wore the newest, cleanest clothes, the latest in hobbit and elven fashion and wonders how it all came to be as it is today. With a sigh, he brushes a tear from his eye and sneaks back into the woods to wait until all has left to begin another search of the bookshop for food.

Lacy grins at all the choices of ink and proceeds to explain what she wants to do in the Temple.

"I was working on a way that anyone could leave a message for me or for any other priestess who might arrive here. I’ve found a small table and put it just inside the door to the Temple, thinking that anyone could either leave a note on a tablet I found in the storage room in the Temple or perhaps I could put a small box on the table that could be used to hold notes, so that the writer would have some privacy. What do you think?

Also, do you remember in the Temple in Solice that we used to leave food on a temple, fruit and bread, for anyone that might pass by and need food? Actually, now that I think about it, there were a number of places where food was kept out for those who were hungry. I was thinking about doing that in the Temple, but I’m still not sure about the shops in Dream. Are there shops by the dock, the way there were before?

Lacy takes a breath, remembering her manners and not wanting to monopolize the conversation. “So how have things been here with both of you? Ceri, have you been exploring yet? Oh, and one more question on the tarot questions, is it better if the questions are just about yourself, or is is possible to ask about someone else?"

"Well I've wandered around some," Ceri replies, "but I've been so many places I've forgotten what a lot of the Island looked like. So other than the bookshop and the Bardic Circle, no places really felt all that familiar. In fact, much of the landscape and buildings still look kinda fuzzy to me. Which is a bit odd, now that I think of it...."

Ceri sips her tea while she considers Lacy's tarot question. "As for the tarot, I suppose it would depend. If you just ask 'How is the situation on the Island doing' you might as well ask for a general reading. Remember you are already extending your question through me (or whoever is doing a reading for you); if you try asking a question on behalf of someone else, that's even further away from the source of the question and likely to get lost in transmission to the cards. In other words 'So-and-So would like to know' will probably result in a very mixed-up reading. Tarot relies as much on the person doing the asking as the person doing the reading."

Ceri takes another sip and continues, "On the other hand if you are asking about a person - 'how is So-and-So doing' or 'when will I next see So-and-So' - you have a much better chance on a clear reading, as these questions relate directly to yourself; that is, you have a personal interest in the reading. I have noticed for questions such as these sometimes the reading will answer the direct question and then add something about your own situation or feelings. I can remember one cousin who kept asking Auntie for readings about the boy she was interested in - three reading later the cards basically read 'stop asking the same question and get a life' and then refused to give any reading for her for a month!"

_________________
Never tickle a sleeping dragon, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Alyra nods as Ceri explains about tarot questions; this makes a lot of sense to her. Then she does her best to address Lacy's question about messages. "I think having an option to leave private messages is a good one, especially in your profession, Lacy. Here at Ye Olde Book Shoppe I keep what I call an "in box" where people can leave things for me, like articles for the paper and notes and the like. It works pretty well, but I made the sign-in book also so that people could just let me know they've been in. That way, too, I have a record of who has visited. At least, of the ones who sign the book." She grins. "But yeah, your tablet is a good idea. You could have a box with a slot in it, or something like that, and people could stick a message in there. You could even have both: loose pages they could fold and put into a box, and a guest book like I have here, where they could publicly sign in. I do have some blank books around, if you'd like one. And if I ever get the pottery going again, I could make you a box with a slotted lid."

Alyra retrieves one of the bottles of ink from the shelf and hands it to her friend. "Here. This is probably the best for what you want to do. It's the same that I use for the guest book here, and for a lot of my own writing." She then sits at the round table, her back to the rear wall where a large tapestry hangs. "Have a seat, you two," she says, gesturing to the chairs at Ceri's Tarot Table. Not waiting for them to join her, she continues: "You asked about food, Lacy, and I agree, having food available for hungry islanders is a good idea. The temple seems like a very logical place to have some, and the taverns as well - which makes me wonder, do we have taverns now? I really should finish that walking tour, shouldn't I?" She grins. "Then I would be able to answer the question about the docks, too, I suppose. There must be shops on the island - hopefully there's still a bakery across the street! - but I haven't actually gone looking for them yet." She frowns slightly. "I wonder if that's what the baby dragon, and the other person, whoever it was, were looking for? They seemed to be going into all kinds of nooks and crannies in this shop, and they devoured the tea Steph and I left out. Maybe they were hungry?

"Not that they'd find any food in the bookshop. I won't have it in here anymore; just the tea. I keep my food upstairs, and no one can get up there but me, except by invitation."

Ceri is now only paying partial attention to the conversation as she remembers one more thing she wanted to do for her tarot reading set-up. She picks out some ink and a quill (having ascertained Alyra's agreement first) and pulls a blank journal out of a cupboard.

"Okay," she mumbles to herself, "set these up for visitors... should I borrow Alyra and Lacy's ideas of in-box and out-box?" Ceri sets it all on one end of the table and goes back to her tea just as Alyra insists to Lacy there is no food in the bookshop.

_________________
Never tickle a sleeping dragon, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

“I think that I’m going to look for the bakery and then take the ink and maybe some bread back to the Temple. The bread actually sounds really delicious right now. Once I have all that set up, I may be back this way, or I may do some more exploring.”

Lacy hugs Alyra with great fondness and then bids Ceri good day as well.

“And Ceri, I’m thinking of a question I want to ask…still mulling it over a bit. Sometimes, you just really have to be sure you want to know the answer, you know?”

Ceri and Alyra wave good-bye, then clean up the mugs and teapot.

"Well I still need to find a good spot for my tent. Somewhere in Drathir I think... and come to think of it fresh bread does sound good!" Ceri grins at Alyra, "Want to come with me? You can show me where this bakery is. Maybe the buildings will stay in one place for you."

_________________
Never tickle a sleeping dragon, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

"Sure, Ceri," says Alyra, as she straightens a chair. "Let me just make sure the back door is..." she stops and thinks. "You know, I was going to lock it, but then Steph - Oh, heck. I won't worry about it. It's either locked or not; if the monsters attack while I'm gone, well, that's their problem." She grins lopsidedly, but uneasily, as she opens the front door and steps out into the cold night air. "Almost need a cloak tonight, but I think I can manage without one. The bakery's . Shall we?"

Alyra wakes up in her room above the bookshop. She lies still for a moment, bringing herself into full wakefulness. Then she sits up and reaches over to the bookshelves next to her, retrieving a worn sheet of parchment with a slightly ragged edge. She reads it over and sighs.

"Yes, you're absolutely right, Ceri. That's exactly what I want to do... and by golly, I'm gonna do it."

She sighs again.

"If I ever see him, that is."

She puts the parchment away, stands up and gets dressed, periodically glancing over at the page, as if it is pointing an accusing finger at her. "It's not fears... it's not... I know he's not rejecting me. It's just... I never see him." So how can I say what I want to say if I... She stands still, closes her eyes and stops her thoughts. "This won't do. She's absolutely right: I'm letting this build up and it's only going to get in the way."

In her heart of hearts, she knows it is fear. And she knows exactly how to deal with that.

She shifts to the shop level and makes herself a cup of tea.

((continued from ))

Ceri and Alyra enter the shop to find... nothing. No one has signed the guestbook, no muddy footprints, nothing out of place.

Ceri goes to the side room to check if anyone has requested a tarot reading while Alyra gets out the mugs to make some hot chocolate. There's a on the table next to the notebook. Looking closer, Ceri discovers the leaves (rowan, if she's not mistaken) are far sturdier and stiffer than they look, painted on one side, and the birch bark has been bound into a little booklet. "Come look Alyra, someone left me faerie oracle 'cards'!"

_________________
Never tickle a sleeping dragon, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup.