Not Dead Yet - Chapter 5

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Back in Berryshire

Part 1

Next morning, Tedd got up early to ready Lemon and the cart, she was anxious to get going and almost started off as soon as she was hitched, long before Tedd, or the rest of the party, was ready to go. She had been acting strange most of the previous day, and he had to spend more time with her than enjoying the feast. And with Griegg feeling ill, Tedd decided not to bother him. Griegg had a way with animals that not even a Chayas could match with it's own animal cousin, but not in the state Griegg was in. Though he seemed to be doing much better today.

Gregg got up at a normal hour, about the same time as Nik, Raain, Arun, and most of the other monks, and they all went in for breakfast as the trumpet blew. Afterwards, Raain brought some extra to Tedd, and they all loaded onto the cart to head back to Berryshire Town. The journey was quiet, although it was not far outside the Sanctuary that Tedd noticed the smell again, and it grew stronger as they went.

They approached town as the Roia set, and could hear music from in town, good music. Tedd, with his fox ears heard it first, "Listen!" He said suddenly as they were still half an elic out of town, "I hear music from town! That alleviates my fear of the smell being from town."

"I don't yet hear music," Griegg said, "But I had reminded you, it couldn't be from Berryshire, based on how you described it on the way up."

"Yes, I know, but still, I am fully relieved. And quite excited if that is the music I think it is."

When Raain confirmed that it was the sound of Jerricho Twist And The Twisters, Arun jumped off the cart and ran ahead, "Silly boy," she said to the others. Tedd urged Lemon to trod a little faster even though they were nearly to the gates.

"I see we're not the only ones who've been missing the concert," said one of the town guards as they arrived. "He got back last night, been playing half the day. Either he knew you were alive, or he never heard that you were dead, but he asked I'd seen either of you. Told him you were up at the Sanctuary. Looks like you've come back." 

"That we have," said Raain. "I had sent him a message about Griegg dying, but I hadn't heard back, so he may not have gotten it."

"Well, that doesn't matter so much now, since I am alive," Griegg said trying to force humor past the absolute fear he had inside over why someone had wanted to kill him so badly that they faked the murder. What must have been the reward to make someone desperate enough to fake it?

They continued on to the Aurie View Lodge where the source of the music was coming from. Raain, Griegg, and Nik dismounted from the cart while Tedd took it and Lemon to the stables. The crowd had filled the barroom, store, lobby, and front patio. The three of them had to excuse their way through to get in. One person thought Nik was trying to sneak into the show following the wake of the Lodge Management, and Raain had to assure the unkept, overweight water-well maintenance manager, named Gio, that Nik was with them.

They placed their bags behind the front desk, Nira, Talur's wife, was on desk duty as they were not serving food this night. "Arun's already in there dancing," she told Griegg and Raain. It was too loud to ask about their trip, she knew.

Griegg and Raain began to squeeze their way through to the barroom where the band was, but Nik remained behind. "Would the baths be empty?" he had to shout for Nira to be able to hear him. She just nodded and handed him a key, there wasn't a need to shout "yes," or make him shout a second question to use them. Nik took his bags up to his room, and begun to remove his unessential garb (his armor and blades). The music suddenly stopped.

Jerricho had spotted Greigg and Raain entering the room, he made the band stop playing as he jumped down from the low stage that was lifted from the floor. "Ah my friends!" He said as he grabbed Greigg's hand and arm, "Great to see you Griegg. Raain, why didn't you tell me he had been murdered?" There was a smile on his face, for the obvious reason that it hadn't happened and the murdered Griegg was standing right there.

"I did, the message must have missed you. But as you can see, it doesn't matter, be glad you didn't suffer the loss." Raain remembered how she had felt, and had to take a deep breath to prevent a tear from forming, it was probably noticed.

"Well, glad you two have made it to my welcome home concert, I'll tell you about my trip tomorrow, so many stories to tell. Maybe I'll sing some of them! Come! People make room, we have a dancer here!" Jerricho had more energy than Raain did.

"Maybe in a bit Jerr, we just got back from a day's long ride, I need to not be moving for a little bit," she laughed exhaustedly.

"Ok, ok, but that just means I'll be playing later into the night!" The crowd cheered. "Let's play the Merran song!" He gave a quick six count and the band started playing a loud ruckus tune. Jerricho played large six-stringed instrument, that sounded like a growling lion, also in the bad were two stick-drum sets, two hand drummers, three different sized brass and reed wind instruments, a large slide-trumpet, two regular trumpets, a piano, a shoulder held eight string instrument played with a bow of woven majna strings, and two others playing instruments similar to Jerricho's but slightly smaller. Jerricho sang,

She's a mean one, that Kluh Ehs,

Her rage does not equate!

She's short and so cute,

She's a brute and so uncouth,

She's a Merrrr-ren, she's Kluh Ehs.

She'll treat you as a friend,

and gladly let you in,

She'll even give a grin.

But don't piss her off.

She'll cut off your head,

if she didn't like your shoes,

She'll shoot thee in the knee

If insulted by thee

Oh yes, she's a mean one, that Kluh Ehs....

And the song continued.

Raain thought, as she listed that Jerricho would certainly be dead if she'd heard this song. The song was true enough, she was kind and friendly, until her temper rose, her temper was pure rage. She didn't have an executioner, she was the executioner as well as Merran of Sarymnaea.

After that song, Jerricho played a few more before insisting that Raain dance while he played the song she had dubbed "the best song in the world." And so she got up and danced. And it was the best song, and the best dance, in all the Avel`Uun~Auriese~Kaea. When it ended, the cheers lasted longer than Raain had begun to want. People were crowded outside the windows and applauding for her there too. She gave a bow, and sat back down. Jerricho played one more song (the one song he ever played that he or someone in his band hadn't written, Closing Time. They'd been playing for seven hours with very few breaks, it helped to have a large band, but they were tired finally, and it was late, the midnight bell rang softly in the distance a moment after the applause ended. 

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Part 2

THUD!

It wasn't the first time Arun had rolled out of his hammock, but he never got used to it. His shoulder and face hurt as he tried to get his wits about him from being woken by falling out of bed, the wood floor wasn't soft. How rude, he thought at his hammock behind the front desk of the Aurie View Lodge. He rubbed his face with the hand that belonged to the shoulder that didn't ache, and glanced out the windows, the day seemed to be starting slowly. The few bits of fog surrounding a few buildings and the central park were illuminated silver under the breaking light of Merroi (Verroi was still below the taller mountains on the southwestern horizon, but only for a moment longer).

A golden light fell upon the town as Arun watched, Verroi had risen over the Tilsclev Range, the mountain range dividing Cleveal from Tilstroal, the nation to the west. The gold started on the distant rooftops and peaked through the top of the central tree. The gold and silver shadows through the tree crossed on the window Arun was looking out. He heard scuffling of feet upstairs and knew that guests and residents were rising. Picking up his blankets and rolling them up, he couldn't help but recall several of the times he'd asked for a cot behind the desk for his night shifts, but no one ever put one there for him.

Can I have a cot--Raain, can I have a -- behind the desk--can I have a cot, Raain? -- A cot would be great--this hammock is killing me-- desk--I keep falling out--Raain can I have a cot?--for the nightshift--cot-- The thoughts swam randomly through Arun's head, fast and then slow, and round about over and back and in and down, and up and left...

Shut up thoughts Arun shook his head as if trying to clear his brain of clutter. It does no good to dwell on what no one will do, they could get me a cot--Raain, can I have a cot?--for the night shift--desk--QUIET! his thoughts were too scattered today, there would be no way he could move the bread if this kept up. hammock--cot he hit himself over the head.

"Arun, quit hitting yourself and come help me," it was the gruff voice of Talur, carrying a tall stock of majna leaves. This is what Arun needed to clear his head and get the day going right, he bounded after Talur towards the kitchens.

Talur fat fingers were perfect for getting a good grip on the dense leaves at the top of the stock, Arun watched in longing as Talur ripped the top off the stock, setting it aside, Talur handed Arun the remaining two foot long leaf stock, "Juice this, and then we'll go smoke this," he indicated to the top.

"Can't we smoke it now? My brain's not steady today, I fell out of my hammock again. I keep asking for a cot but no one gets me one."

"Alrighty then, come on out back." Talur carried the majna leaves and lead Arun out the back door to the vegitable garden that stretched out from the back of the lodge. The mists were still hanging around the tomatoes and corn, and the berries were damp with dew glistening in the gold and silver morning light at the edge of the long shadow cast by the three floor building, half of the garden was in shade.

As Talur pulled his pipe from his belt, Griegg, Tedd, and Jerricho came around the side of the stables and joined Talur and Arun in a circle under the light of the roia.

"G'morning," said Jerricho dragging his short tail. Jerricho's features were distinctly humon, except for his cat-like tail and odd nose that was somewhere between a man and a cat. His Caitian features almost lost through the generations mixing with humons.

"Late night, for sure," Griegg said as he began to pack his own pipe that he'd brought out unsure if Talur would be up yet.

"Put that old stuff away, Griegg! I got fresh leaves for ya, is that the same leaf you left here with 6 months ago?" Talur said.

"Habbit," Griegg replied as he knocked out his pipe and pocketed it, "yeah, it's old, will be nice to have something fresh."

Jerricho lit a wick and handed the flame to Talur for the first toke, but Talur passed it to Arun first.

Arun enhaled the smoke of the majna leaves, held the smoke in his small lungs, and felt his brain slide into place. "Haahhh, that's better." He passed the pipe and wick to Jerricho with his now focused mind. A smirk grew across Griegg's face, he was proud of Arun's progess of control.

"Think you can hold the pipe and light it for me?" Jerricho asked Arun, who did just that, and then passed it on to Tedd who also toked the pipe floating in midair, and then Griegg and Talur, there was just enough leaf for the circle.

"Though that was impressive Arun," it was Raain, shouting down from her bedroom window, "but I told you guys, not around the Lodge."

"We're not around the lodge, we're behind it!" Jerricho retorted and Raain scoffed turning away and closing her window. Everyone but Griegg laughed at Jerricho's jest. "Well, she is right, that was impressive, Arun."

"Thanks, it helps a lot when my brain is out of control," Arun said.

Each took a turn washing their hands and face before reentering the kitchen. Arun went straight to the remaining majna stock and carried it by hand to the juicer and began squeezing the golden green juices into several pitchers which he then set out behind the bar, ready for the morning customers to drink with breakfast.

Griegg began frying some thin strips of fatty meat that had been soaking in tula nut syrup overnight, while Talur began cooking eggs.

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Chapter 5 will be continued

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Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | TBC