Here's chapter 4 and some plot advancement.
"Leba, could you please put these sheets away for me?" The stout, motherly brunette who was in charge of the St. James shelter for the homeless asked the tall blonde minstrel, who spent most of her spare time either with street musicians or helping the needy.
"Sure Hana," Leba said, picking up the considerably big pile of sheets. "Where do you want them?" She asked, wavering slightly under their weight.
"They go in the closet in the back room upstairs," Hana said absently, reloading the old washing machine they had been donated several years ago.
Leba slowly climbed up the stairs, her footing unsure because of the large pile of sheets she was carrying. Fortunately for her she managed to reach the top of the stairs without falling.
The whole floor was packed with people, volunteers, homeless, and husbands who's wives had kicked them out of the house. But, unfortunately for Leba, everyone was either busy, sleeping, or pretending to be sleeping at seeing someone in need of help.
Using her foot to drag a chair along to the closet, she opened the closet and, using the chair as a stepping stool, tried to deposit the sheets in the only space available, the upper shelf.
She managed to safely place the sheets in the shelf, but just as she was about to step down she heard a cracking sound under her.
Her mind only faintly registered that a leg had broken off the chair she was standing on, and that the likelihood of her falling and hurting herself was very high.
She fell, but she didn't land. Just before she hit would have hit the ground she felt someone catch her. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring into a pair of sky-blue eyes.
"Are you all right?" the man who had caught her asked
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied absently, getting back on her feet with his help.
Once she was back on her feet she turned around and was able to get a better look at her helper. Everything about him was long, his face, his nose, his hair; which was snowy white, even though he did not look to be much older than his mid twenties.
"Guess they should get some new chairs here," he said.
"Huh, what?" Leba said, starting, embarrassed at having found herself staring at him, "Oh, I guess that would be a good idea, but if they had the money for it there would be something else that needs fixing."
The stranger nodded absently, then, realizing that he too was staring, shook his head slightly. "I don't think I've introduced myself," he said, "my names Charlie––Charlie Bown––hey, stop laughing." He said indignantly.
Leba tried to surpress her giggles, "How did you end up with a name like that?" She asked.
"Well," Charlie said vaguely, "Neither of them liked the name the other had chosen, so they chose the worst name possible." He scratched his head nervously, "Say––um––would you like to go get a Coffee? After were done, I mean."
"Actually," Leba started––and paused––something at the window, and behind Charlie, caught her attention. Griff was perched on the ledge, waving frantically, trying to get her attention. He was pointing his talon up, as if he meant her to meet him on the roof. "I've gotta go," she said hurriedly, and rushed out of the room.
Checking to see that no one was watching here she slowly opened the door to the stairs leading to the roof. As she climbed up the stairs she wondered what Griff wanted that seemed so urgent. He had taken a great risk of being seen, coming here, Leba prayed fervently that they weren't facing any more troubles. Like the rest of the neo-knights and gargoyles she had had her share of trouble and wanted to simply relax and help others in a way that did not involve magic spells and explosions.
Opening the door she found Griff leaning next to it, Caval sitting right next to him.
"I was beginning to wonder what was keeping you," Griff commented, "Who was that you were talking too."
"Never mind," said Leba, "He was just someone I met." The Griffin like gargoyle stepped in front of her. "So, what's going on?" Leba asked.
"Arthur wants us to check something out," Griff started, and told her the whole story.
"And you really think we'll find something," Leba asked skeptically, "After all this is a Fey we're talking about, I don't think he'll really leave much of a track."
Griff shrugged, "That's why we have Caval with us, we should be able to find at least something."
Leba rolled her eyes, "I think you're being too realistic, but whatever, we might as well check it out."
Griff pulled something out of a bag he was carrying, "Here, take one of these ear-radios, we'll keep in contact with them." Slipping his into his ears he jumped off and took to wing.
Turning on her own microphone Leba turned back down the stairs, following Griff's directions to their destination.
After the two neo-knights had left a dark cloaked figure appeared out of the shadows. It peered after the london gargoyle, and down the stairs where Leba had disappeared. Strange sniffing noises came out of the depths of its hood, as if it were sniffing something. Then it sneezed, "Accursed cold," it muttered, and followed Leba down the stairs.
+++++++++ Well, that's chapter 4, chapter 5 will be going up once I feel like it. And a few more reviews would be nice.
"Leba, could you please put these sheets away for me?" The stout, motherly brunette who was in charge of the St. James shelter for the homeless asked the tall blonde minstrel, who spent most of her spare time either with street musicians or helping the needy.
"Sure Hana," Leba said, picking up the considerably big pile of sheets. "Where do you want them?" She asked, wavering slightly under their weight.
"They go in the closet in the back room upstairs," Hana said absently, reloading the old washing machine they had been donated several years ago.
Leba slowly climbed up the stairs, her footing unsure because of the large pile of sheets she was carrying. Fortunately for her she managed to reach the top of the stairs without falling.
The whole floor was packed with people, volunteers, homeless, and husbands who's wives had kicked them out of the house. But, unfortunately for Leba, everyone was either busy, sleeping, or pretending to be sleeping at seeing someone in need of help.
Using her foot to drag a chair along to the closet, she opened the closet and, using the chair as a stepping stool, tried to deposit the sheets in the only space available, the upper shelf.
She managed to safely place the sheets in the shelf, but just as she was about to step down she heard a cracking sound under her.
Her mind only faintly registered that a leg had broken off the chair she was standing on, and that the likelihood of her falling and hurting herself was very high.
She fell, but she didn't land. Just before she hit would have hit the ground she felt someone catch her. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring into a pair of sky-blue eyes.
"Are you all right?" the man who had caught her asked
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied absently, getting back on her feet with his help.
Once she was back on her feet she turned around and was able to get a better look at her helper. Everything about him was long, his face, his nose, his hair; which was snowy white, even though he did not look to be much older than his mid twenties.
"Guess they should get some new chairs here," he said.
"Huh, what?" Leba said, starting, embarrassed at having found herself staring at him, "Oh, I guess that would be a good idea, but if they had the money for it there would be something else that needs fixing."
The stranger nodded absently, then, realizing that he too was staring, shook his head slightly. "I don't think I've introduced myself," he said, "my names Charlie––Charlie Bown––hey, stop laughing." He said indignantly.
Leba tried to surpress her giggles, "How did you end up with a name like that?" She asked.
"Well," Charlie said vaguely, "Neither of them liked the name the other had chosen, so they chose the worst name possible." He scratched his head nervously, "Say––um––would you like to go get a Coffee? After were done, I mean."
"Actually," Leba started––and paused––something at the window, and behind Charlie, caught her attention. Griff was perched on the ledge, waving frantically, trying to get her attention. He was pointing his talon up, as if he meant her to meet him on the roof. "I've gotta go," she said hurriedly, and rushed out of the room.
Checking to see that no one was watching here she slowly opened the door to the stairs leading to the roof. As she climbed up the stairs she wondered what Griff wanted that seemed so urgent. He had taken a great risk of being seen, coming here, Leba prayed fervently that they weren't facing any more troubles. Like the rest of the neo-knights and gargoyles she had had her share of trouble and wanted to simply relax and help others in a way that did not involve magic spells and explosions.
Opening the door she found Griff leaning next to it, Caval sitting right next to him.
"I was beginning to wonder what was keeping you," Griff commented, "Who was that you were talking too."
"Never mind," said Leba, "He was just someone I met." The Griffin like gargoyle stepped in front of her. "So, what's going on?" Leba asked.
"Arthur wants us to check something out," Griff started, and told her the whole story.
"And you really think we'll find something," Leba asked skeptically, "After all this is a Fey we're talking about, I don't think he'll really leave much of a track."
Griff shrugged, "That's why we have Caval with us, we should be able to find at least something."
Leba rolled her eyes, "I think you're being too realistic, but whatever, we might as well check it out."
Griff pulled something out of a bag he was carrying, "Here, take one of these ear-radios, we'll keep in contact with them." Slipping his into his ears he jumped off and took to wing.
Turning on her own microphone Leba turned back down the stairs, following Griff's directions to their destination.
After the two neo-knights had left a dark cloaked figure appeared out of the shadows. It peered after the london gargoyle, and down the stairs where Leba had disappeared. Strange sniffing noises came out of the depths of its hood, as if it were sniffing something. Then it sneezed, "Accursed cold," it muttered, and followed Leba down the stairs.
+++++++++ Well, that's chapter 4, chapter 5 will be going up once I feel like it. And a few more reviews would be nice.