Chapter Twenty One
After Shikatsu and Ambermist finished their little interlude, they talked for a while. Then, when Ambermist started yawning, Shik offered to walk her back to her room. Accepting his offer, both redressed and she entered the hall with him in tow.
In order to get to Ambermist's room, they had to pass by Jea and Laguna's room. Ambermist paused when she heard a familiar noise. Motioning Shik to silence, she pressed her ear against the door and giggled.
Shikatsu looked at her. "What is it?" he whispered.
"Remember what you were congratulating Laguna for earlier? Well, they're at it again. Are we entirely sure they aren't jackrabbits in disguise?"
Both thieves snickered at the joke-then looked at each other as they clued in to the same idea. Shikatsu murmured, "So, shall we embarrass them?"
"Of course." Ambermist reached for the door handle, only to find it locked. "Shit."
The duo spent a few minutes picking the lock as quietly as possible. Hearing the faint 'kachick!,' they pushed the door open.
..Only to be staring into the eyes of the room's two (semi) human occupants. Jea and Laguna had heard the lock click too, and they had broken apart to dive under the covers. The rogues grinned, noting the looks of annoyed irritation on their faces.
"What the hell do you want?" Jea snapped. "That door was locked for a reason. Go away."
Shik laughed and began taunting her. Ambermist was practically rolling on the ground, and Laguna was fighting a grin (although he wisely said nothing.) Jea, on the other hand, was so mad she threw her pillow at Shikatsu.
Catching it, the assassin threw it back. Jea snarled in irritance at him. "GO AWAY."
Shikatsu just laughed at her, and Jea glared at him a moment before whistling a strange note.
"Get out, both of you, or I'll have Wolf rip yer throats out."
"You wouldn't do that," Shik said.
"Oh? I wouldn't, would I?" Jea smiled sweetly at him. "Really.How intriguing.Wolf! Ha'uut!"
Wolf advanced, snarling menacingly. Jea looked calmly at the now nervous Shikatsu. "Old friend, I'm and annoyed, exhausted, pregnant ranger/druid. Now, leave before I sic Wolf on you."
Evidently the rogue decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and motioned to Ambermist to leave. The two left, deliberately leaving the door open.
Wolf butted the door shut with his nose before going over to lay back down next to Thistlechaser.
Jea rolled her eyes and flopped backwards on the bed, causing the covers to bounce off of her. "Oh! Annoying!"
Laguna nuzzled her neck, murmuring, "Calm down, Jea. They're gone. Relax."
Shrugging, Jea snuggled into his warm embrace and settled down to sleep. Laguna wrapped her up tightly and fell asleep, face buried in her hair.
* * * * * *
The party was on the ship for another week. During that time, Shikatsu kept mostly to himself, occasionally trading new adventure stories with the ranger, catching up on some old times.
Meanwhile, the ranger woman and Ambermist could be found most often in the ship's common room, eating. Dumbugg sat around, staring blankly into space and drooling on himself. Laguna spent most of his time training; exercising, practicing, and meditating.
When the ship finally docked in Greyhawk, the group was only too happy to disembark. For the party of adventurers, being cooped up in the bowels of a stuffy ship for over a week was almost too much.
By the time everyone had gotten off the ship and unloaded horses and supplies, it was evening. Jea looked at Shik. "Well, Shikatsu, right now, I'm too tired to talk to anyone tonight. Are the inns any different nowadays than they were a decade ago? We need a place to sleep."
The assassin shrugged. "Why don't you all stay at my place? I have room. I have to go out tonight for a contract, but you can make yourself at home while I'm out. We can go talk to Natasha tomorrow."
Jea raised one eyebrow and nodded. "Okay. That'll save some money. Lead on, comrade."
Shik took them to his house, a large, well built building with plain outer walls. Shikatsu gave them a brief tour, pointing out the guestrooms and bathrooms. Then he left to take care of some business.
Jea looked at her friends. "First thing, I need a bath. Let's go, Laguna. You could use one too."
Laguna shrugged and followed her into one of the guest suites.
Ambermist bit back a yawn and staggered to another room, passing out on the bed. Dumbugg, now all by himself, decided to dig in the icebox for food. He found the haunch of a deer and plopped down on the floor, eating it raw and cold.
* * * * * *
Jea came out of the bathroom, toweling her hair dry. Dropping the towel, she rummaged through her bags for her comb and clothes.
Laguna exited the bath a minute later, buffing his hair to dry it. "So, Jea, do you know anything about why your friend wants to see you?"
The ranger, pausing in pulling her comb through her hair, shrugged. "Don't know. She's not really my friend-we just worked together a long time ago. That's why she had Shik write that letter."
Jea looked at her reflection in the large mirror, noting in passing that the slight bulge in her abdomen was already visible, and finished combing her hair out.
Laguna pulled his clothes on. "Well, that's strange.I mean, even though you're tough and can kick some major butt, why didn't they send for someone closer to home?"
The ranger woman shook her head as she put her pants on and struggled into her shirt. "Dunno. But I have a feelin' we'll find out, Right now, though, I'm hungry. Let's go raid Shik's kitchen."
Laguna, Wolf, and Thistlechaser followed her into the kitchen, where Dumbugg was halfway done with the haunch. Jea shoved him away from the icebox and began to paw through it.
Twenty minutes later, Jea was seated at the table with a seven course meal laid out before her. Laguna sat next to her with a single helping on a small plate. The wolves were on the floor, eating large slabs of meat.
The half elf woman methodically began working her way through her insanely large meal. The sound of utensils against pottery woke Ambermist, and she joined them in the kitchen, making the best of Jea's example and fixing her own seven course mal with the little remaining food in the house.
Laguna just watched in fascination as the two women devoured the food. -My god, I've never seen anyone so slender eat like that! I didn't know it was possible! Wow!-
Just then, Shikatsu returned, planning to fix himself a filling meal and a mug of ale-only to have collective apoplexy upon entering his kitchen.
His eyes bugged out as he took in the scene. "My.my food..You ate-you ate- I don't believe it.you ate all of my food! How could you?"
Jea pushed back her plate and shrugged. "You said to make ourselves at home, Shik, old buddy. We got hungry. By the way, you really should keep a better spice rack. You can get some when you pick up more food tomorrow." She rose and patted his cheek as she and Laguna went to return to the bedroom they'd chosen.
Shikatsu whimpered and whined as he looked at the emptiness of his ice box. Ambermist finished her meal and took the opportunity to steal the nicest room in the house-Shik's.
The assassin almost wept when he realized that his room had been taken and he whimpered all the way to a guest bedroom to sleep. Dumbugg belched and put the remains of the haunch back in the icebox. Then, tired, he collapsed face first on the floor, sound asleep.
After Shikatsu and Ambermist finished their little interlude, they talked for a while. Then, when Ambermist started yawning, Shik offered to walk her back to her room. Accepting his offer, both redressed and she entered the hall with him in tow.
In order to get to Ambermist's room, they had to pass by Jea and Laguna's room. Ambermist paused when she heard a familiar noise. Motioning Shik to silence, she pressed her ear against the door and giggled.
Shikatsu looked at her. "What is it?" he whispered.
"Remember what you were congratulating Laguna for earlier? Well, they're at it again. Are we entirely sure they aren't jackrabbits in disguise?"
Both thieves snickered at the joke-then looked at each other as they clued in to the same idea. Shikatsu murmured, "So, shall we embarrass them?"
"Of course." Ambermist reached for the door handle, only to find it locked. "Shit."
The duo spent a few minutes picking the lock as quietly as possible. Hearing the faint 'kachick!,' they pushed the door open.
..Only to be staring into the eyes of the room's two (semi) human occupants. Jea and Laguna had heard the lock click too, and they had broken apart to dive under the covers. The rogues grinned, noting the looks of annoyed irritation on their faces.
"What the hell do you want?" Jea snapped. "That door was locked for a reason. Go away."
Shik laughed and began taunting her. Ambermist was practically rolling on the ground, and Laguna was fighting a grin (although he wisely said nothing.) Jea, on the other hand, was so mad she threw her pillow at Shikatsu.
Catching it, the assassin threw it back. Jea snarled in irritance at him. "GO AWAY."
Shikatsu just laughed at her, and Jea glared at him a moment before whistling a strange note.
"Get out, both of you, or I'll have Wolf rip yer throats out."
"You wouldn't do that," Shik said.
"Oh? I wouldn't, would I?" Jea smiled sweetly at him. "Really.How intriguing.Wolf! Ha'uut!"
Wolf advanced, snarling menacingly. Jea looked calmly at the now nervous Shikatsu. "Old friend, I'm and annoyed, exhausted, pregnant ranger/druid. Now, leave before I sic Wolf on you."
Evidently the rogue decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and motioned to Ambermist to leave. The two left, deliberately leaving the door open.
Wolf butted the door shut with his nose before going over to lay back down next to Thistlechaser.
Jea rolled her eyes and flopped backwards on the bed, causing the covers to bounce off of her. "Oh! Annoying!"
Laguna nuzzled her neck, murmuring, "Calm down, Jea. They're gone. Relax."
Shrugging, Jea snuggled into his warm embrace and settled down to sleep. Laguna wrapped her up tightly and fell asleep, face buried in her hair.
* * * * * *
The party was on the ship for another week. During that time, Shikatsu kept mostly to himself, occasionally trading new adventure stories with the ranger, catching up on some old times.
Meanwhile, the ranger woman and Ambermist could be found most often in the ship's common room, eating. Dumbugg sat around, staring blankly into space and drooling on himself. Laguna spent most of his time training; exercising, practicing, and meditating.
When the ship finally docked in Greyhawk, the group was only too happy to disembark. For the party of adventurers, being cooped up in the bowels of a stuffy ship for over a week was almost too much.
By the time everyone had gotten off the ship and unloaded horses and supplies, it was evening. Jea looked at Shik. "Well, Shikatsu, right now, I'm too tired to talk to anyone tonight. Are the inns any different nowadays than they were a decade ago? We need a place to sleep."
The assassin shrugged. "Why don't you all stay at my place? I have room. I have to go out tonight for a contract, but you can make yourself at home while I'm out. We can go talk to Natasha tomorrow."
Jea raised one eyebrow and nodded. "Okay. That'll save some money. Lead on, comrade."
Shik took them to his house, a large, well built building with plain outer walls. Shikatsu gave them a brief tour, pointing out the guestrooms and bathrooms. Then he left to take care of some business.
Jea looked at her friends. "First thing, I need a bath. Let's go, Laguna. You could use one too."
Laguna shrugged and followed her into one of the guest suites.
Ambermist bit back a yawn and staggered to another room, passing out on the bed. Dumbugg, now all by himself, decided to dig in the icebox for food. He found the haunch of a deer and plopped down on the floor, eating it raw and cold.
* * * * * *
Jea came out of the bathroom, toweling her hair dry. Dropping the towel, she rummaged through her bags for her comb and clothes.
Laguna exited the bath a minute later, buffing his hair to dry it. "So, Jea, do you know anything about why your friend wants to see you?"
The ranger, pausing in pulling her comb through her hair, shrugged. "Don't know. She's not really my friend-we just worked together a long time ago. That's why she had Shik write that letter."
Jea looked at her reflection in the large mirror, noting in passing that the slight bulge in her abdomen was already visible, and finished combing her hair out.
Laguna pulled his clothes on. "Well, that's strange.I mean, even though you're tough and can kick some major butt, why didn't they send for someone closer to home?"
The ranger woman shook her head as she put her pants on and struggled into her shirt. "Dunno. But I have a feelin' we'll find out, Right now, though, I'm hungry. Let's go raid Shik's kitchen."
Laguna, Wolf, and Thistlechaser followed her into the kitchen, where Dumbugg was halfway done with the haunch. Jea shoved him away from the icebox and began to paw through it.
Twenty minutes later, Jea was seated at the table with a seven course meal laid out before her. Laguna sat next to her with a single helping on a small plate. The wolves were on the floor, eating large slabs of meat.
The half elf woman methodically began working her way through her insanely large meal. The sound of utensils against pottery woke Ambermist, and she joined them in the kitchen, making the best of Jea's example and fixing her own seven course mal with the little remaining food in the house.
Laguna just watched in fascination as the two women devoured the food. -My god, I've never seen anyone so slender eat like that! I didn't know it was possible! Wow!-
Just then, Shikatsu returned, planning to fix himself a filling meal and a mug of ale-only to have collective apoplexy upon entering his kitchen.
His eyes bugged out as he took in the scene. "My.my food..You ate-you ate- I don't believe it.you ate all of my food! How could you?"
Jea pushed back her plate and shrugged. "You said to make ourselves at home, Shik, old buddy. We got hungry. By the way, you really should keep a better spice rack. You can get some when you pick up more food tomorrow." She rose and patted his cheek as she and Laguna went to return to the bedroom they'd chosen.
Shikatsu whimpered and whined as he looked at the emptiness of his ice box. Ambermist finished her meal and took the opportunity to steal the nicest room in the house-Shik's.
The assassin almost wept when he realized that his room had been taken and he whimpered all the way to a guest bedroom to sleep. Dumbugg belched and put the remains of the haunch back in the icebox. Then, tired, he collapsed face first on the floor, sound asleep.