CH12: Brutter's place
The sun was rising and Ashelin began to open her eyes, which were glued shut, it seemed. She was laying on a bed with sheets made of sewn together leather of some sort and cheap thread. She sat up and looked around, then looked out of the window. She was in the water slums, in the far corner of the north wall. Ashelin jumped off the bed and looked around the strange place. It was filled with little gadgets and trinkets that sat on shelves and were scattered around everywhere messily; the place looked like a packrat owned it.
She walked over to a little item that was similar to a gyroscope and was made of what appeared to be Precursor metal. It kept spinning around, with little orbs like planets floating and bouncing around an invisible forcefield. It was a pretty little object. It had some ancient dialect written on it that looked similar to the Precurian writing. Ashelin reached out to touch it but then the door on her right slammed open forcefully with a lurker behind it.
"YOU AWAKE!!!" She heard the lurker say. "BRUTTER HAPPY TO MEET YOU! WHAT YOUR NAME RED TROOPER GIRL?"
"You talk?" She said startled to him.
"Welcome, Yutok! Brutter happy to be at Yutok's service!" Brutter said to her
"No, my name is not 'Yutok'… uh, Brutter. It's Ashelin." She said tensely to Brutter, still confused.
"Oh, sorry red trooper girl Ashelin! You are guest of Brutter's hut! I find you floating in water near dock this morning and Brutter think you help me!" He said enthusiastically.
Ashelin kept staring at him, since he was unusually smart for a lurker. She knew lurkers were excellent craftsmen, but not so good to where they could make their own clothing and decorate their own home.
"Okay, fine. You 'saved my life'. What do you want me to do? But make it fast, I have to go somewhere this afternoon." She said.
"All Brutter needs is help in making disguise, and I thank you and help any time needed!"
Ashelin bit her lip. How do you disguise a 300-pound hairy purple animal with bright glowing yellow eyes? She looked to the side and saw a couple of blue feathers, and figured they can be used as fake ears. There was a black, slick wig right next the feathers on the desk, which could be used as hair for his head.
"I think these might work for now." She said as she grabbed the wig and put it on his head. It stayed on surprisingly well. Then she grabbed the feathers and twirled them around her fingers for a while until she found the exact place to put them. She stuck them in the side of the wig and adjusted them carefully to where they seemed in the right position. Brutter already had some clothing on, but all he needed was something to cover the eyes.
"There's not much else I can do, and I have to go to the Fortress this afternoon, so you'll have to figure the rest out yourself." Ashelin said to Brutter.
"Alright red trooper girl! I think I be fine! You come back for sleep tonight?" He asked her.
"No, I'm sorry but I can't tonight. Maybe later, ok?" She said as she gave him a small red communicator. "You can call me any time. Just hold down the little button on the side when you want to talk, and let go when you want to hear a response. Take care."
Ashelin stepped out of the house and walked away as Brutter observed the device. She heard a door close behind her. She had plenty of time to get to class, and she had no choice but to walk without getting caught.