Blackburn's Crossing Chapter 4: Snake Eater

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Marsh House:

Lina hops up onto the table from nearby riding a frog, that seems currently calm. She waves to Peri and Bernard before it hops to another part of the table. "Whoaaaa!!!!" she yells giddily as they come to a landing again. "It was really quiet in here so I went to find a friend. I found this frog and we've been traveling around the house together."
 
Bernard grabbed a couple berries and set them on the table next to the pixie. "I'm glad to see you up and feeling better, Lina. I've got some questions, if you're feeling ready to answer?" He smiled and turned back to the stove, chopping some potatoes and tossing them in the bacon grease.
 
Marsh House:

Lina gets off the frog and goes to pick up a berry that is almost as wide as her and bites into it, a mess being made on mouth changing it a dark blue color. The frog suddenly shoots out it's tongue and eats one of the berries to which Lina laughs. "Questions? Questions about what?" asks Lina curious as she hops up taking flight and takes another bite out of the berry munching furiously on it.
 
"Questions about mom, and the book. And about why you were stuck to the tree." Bernard carefully pulled the needle out of his coin pouch. "What is this Lina, and why does it hurt you?" He showed it to her keeping his distance and trying to be non-threatening before he replaced it back in his pouch. "We need to know everything you can tell us so we can save Merris. I really need to save my mom, Lina. And I need your help. What can you tell us about the book?" He stirred the food on the stove before placing a few more berries on the table.
 
Peri deposits herself in a chair, “Thank you Bear, I hope he likes me too.” Chucking at Lina’s Entrance she shakes her head. “I would love some of that it smells so good!” She calls into the kitchen as she crosses her arms on the table and rests her head.
 
Marsh House:

"My momma? Well... shes big, and green, and makes everything grow," says Lina starting to talk almost immediately. When she started to process about the tree she flinched. She almost immediately knows what Bernard is going to pull out and Lina flies away once the needle is revealed. She seems extremely afraid of it and hides behind a cupboard. She peaks only after Bernard puts it away. "It's evil cold iron. It hurts us," says Lina almost hissing the words through her teeth.

"The book? Inside is very large, and it changes almost every time you go into it. You never know what kind of adventure you might go on!" she cries happily as if it is a game.
 
"Don't worry, I'm not going to pull out the cold iron again. Do you know, if Merris is in the book and we go into the book, will we go to the same adventure?" Bernard stirs the food adding some spices and herbs. He shovels the food onto two plates taking them to the table and placing one in front of Peri. "Enjoy."
 
Arissa blinked as she exited the Roaring Rapids, her normally superhuman vision dulled by the drink as it slowly adjusted to the darkness that covered the town. She shivered briefly and pulled her jacket in tighter as she began the walk home, trying to sort through what she had learned that night as she absentmindedly watched a rat skitter past in the streets. Maria was a common patron of the Rapids... although I do not know when this all occurred. Bjorn... it sounds to me as if the man is the most likely suspect as the killer. He has the motive, the knowledge, and most importantly the skill with blades to have done the deed. I should go speak with him tomorrow. I should also go tell Annabelle that her suspicious acts have not gone unnoticed... perhaps she will be willing to share?

Arissa glanced over to the Einhorn House and felt the feelings of guilt creep back in, but in the back of her mind she knew that Jonathan would not want her to worry about him, and she decided to abide by those wishes. Arissa’s thoughts shifted to some of the more pleasant aspects of her evening. I would very much enjoy performing at the Roaring Rapids again, despite the quality of the tavern’s patronage. Thackery and Terra were pleasant company as well, although I believe I should be careful with that girl... I know that one of the first lessons of zuipen is to never appear to be too attached, but I should not toy with her... perhaps I should let her down tomorrow. Hopefully it was merely my performance that invited Terra’s affections, she is not a woman I would mind befriending. After all, there is more to life than bargains, violence, and suffering... if this place is to be my home, it is about time that people do begin to know me as more than the foreign woman who may be involved with the head of the church, ja?

Arissa finally found her way back to the Marsh House after several missteps on her part and intentional misdirections from Yorgi. She walked up to the tree in the front yard that she knew meant so much to Peri and Bernard and curtsied to it before speaking to it quietly. “I know you may not know me, but I was there to witness your sacrifice, Ferrin, and I promise you that none of your children will share your fate. We will bring back Merris as well, safe and sound. You have my word on that.” Arissa then paused and looked around, grateful for the lack of witnesses. First birds and now trees? Gods, Arissa, you really must be losing it.

Arissa eagerly walked up to the door of the Marsh House, taking a moment to steady herself on the frame before knocking on it loudly. “Hello? It is Arissa. Can I come in? It is rather chilling outside.” Arissa hugged herself briefly and then glanced down and smoothed out her dress before turning back to the door with a smile as she waited for someone to answer.
 
A knock at the door followed by Arissa's voice brings a smile to Bernard's face as he stands and moves to let her in. "Good evening, beautiful lady, what are you doing out dressed like that on such a frigid evening? Come in, come in." He leans in for a kiss as she walks by and closes the door behind her. "What have you been up to? And why do you smell like cheap ale? That's no good." He ushers her into the dining room and pulls out a chair for her before collecting a bottle of Ferrin's mead and three glasses. He pours one for each of them. "This will warm you right up." He took a seat next to Arissa and continued to eat, offering some to Arissa as well.
 
Soon as Bernard gave her a utensil to eat Peri consumed her meal in record time. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast and that has settled strangely. As Bernard spoke with Lina Peri listened, one of his questions she had t even thought to ask. Shoving her plate aside she rests her chin upon her arms again.

It didn’t take long before her eyes began drifting closed only to have her head pop back up at the sound of knocking. Bernard going to greet her and settle her into a chair offering another drink which Peri crinkles her nose at but sipped anyways.
 
When Bernard opened the door and asked Arissa what she was doing, she smiled to him teasingly. "How would you have preferred me to have dressed? I am afraid I cannot simply walk around with a fur on my back at all times unlike a certain someone." Arissa quickly removed her sheath and tossed it to the side, and then stopped as Bernard leaned in to kiss her and wrapped her arms around him, enjoying his warmth for a moment before following him into the dining room and taking a seat. "I was unable to sleep given all that has happened and decided to try and get something accomplished instead and go speak to Thackery. I gave him a performance that the patrons of the Rapids will not soon forget, and in exchange he told me what little he knew about Maria. Then, I spoke with his daughter, Terra, who shared with me many of the going on's of the Crossing. She seemed to have taken quite the liking to me, as had several other of the patrons. Do you know a 'Crooks'?"

Arissa then blushed remembering the rumors she had been told about her and Bernard. She looked up at Bernard as he returned with the mead and smiled gratefully. "I am afraid I have already eaten, but I could certainly use some warming." She took the drink and downed it quickly, almost immediately feeling it's effect. She stared at the cup for a moment before turning and smiling warmly to Bernard and taking his hand. "This is the drink you had given me the night we had met, ja? I had never tasted anything like it before..." She then noticed Peri who had been sitting there quietly and smiled to her. "Hello, Perian, I hope you are doing well tonight." Something nudged at the back of her mind, but her thoughts were too fuzzy to recall what the issue might have been.
 
Peri sipped at her drink made a face and then offered it to Arissa who seemed to like it. “I’m doing better, it’s been a trying day and I’m quite done with it.” Closing her eyes a moment she pushes out a smile. “We were just talking to Lina about Momma and how to get her out of the book.”

Sitting up she stretched stomach full and face warmed by only a few sips of mead. “I haven’t seen you since this morning and briefly earlier. I owe you a better congratulations dear sister.” Reaching over the table she squeezes Arissa hand for a comforting moment.
 
Marsh House:

"No one knows what adventure you'll get put upon. They usually end up meeting eventually though," says Lina holding up the last piece of berry and then munching into it. She flies over to Peri pokes her in the noise and begins to fly about the room. When Peri pushes the alcohol away she lands on the cup and then begins to drink some of the liquid in side and then wipes her face clean of berry, and alcohol. "Tastes alright. Nothing like fey wine though."
 
Bernard finished his own cup of mead with his dinner then poured himself a second cup. "Crooks doesn't ring a bell." He continued to work on his second cup as he answered in between sips both answering Arissa and commenting to Lina, "Yes, this is the same drink I shared then. Father made it from honey by the barrel. I think he's still got a few fermenting in the shed, but he bottled a bunch. It used to be gifts for friends and family in winter or for celebration."

Bernard chuckled, watching Arissa's blush, it was clear she'd had a few drinks. He enjoyed watching the two ladies interact, and only had a little to add in a very humoured tone, "Peri had just told me that she likes kissing Yelcan." He hid behind his mug as he finished his second round, before pouring himself a third.
 
Arissa smiled comfortingly to Peri, happy to see that she was no longer as distressed as she was before. "Do not worry, Perian. We will save Merris soon enough. Together, nothing will stand in our way." Arissa then blushes slightly and looks away as Peri congratulated her, but then turned to her with a smile of genuine happiness and squeezed her hand as well. "Thank you, Perian. Your approval means the world to me. I suppose we truly will be sisters soon, ja?"

Arissa takes the mug from Peri with a grin and was about to take a drink from it when she saw the small figure drop into it. She slips a hand into the mug and carefully scoops out the figure. "I do not believe we have been acquainted yet, Lina, although something tells me you are likely familiar with me. I am Arissa, and it is very nice to meet you." She set Lina back down on the table and began to drain the new mug, but nearly spits it out at Bernard's statement. She coughs for a moment before regaining her composure and looks at the two incredulously. "Pardon me, I believe that the drink is beginning to take hold of me. Did I just hear Bernard say that Perian... and with Yelcan?" She looked between the two, thoroughly confused and waiting for one of them to correct her.
 
Peri rubs her nose after Lina pokes it following the pixie around then looks back to Arissa as she speaks again. When Bernard gave up her revelation of the day Peri blushed pulingnher hand back frim Arissa’s sonshe could clear her throat.

“Bear” she frowns at him, “You make it sound weird.” Looking to Arissa she pouts, “He kissed me at the ball and again this morning, after thinking about it.” She smiles to herself, “I think I understand how you and Bear feel. Why he seems more than just a friend.” Her hands moved as she tries to explain herself pausing awkwardly. “Is that weird?”
 
"No, no. Of course it's not weird, Peri. I'm just poking fun. A bit of gossip at the dinner table." Bernard smiled reaching across the table to tossle Peri's hair. "I'm happy for you. I hope it goes well when you tell him how you feel." Bernard finished his third mug before he wrapped his arm around Arissa, hugging her close and leaning his head in toward her with a smile.
 
Arissa still struggled to wrap her head around a relationship between Peri and Yelcan, but then shrugged. “As long as he makes you happy, what does it matter I suppose.” She looked over to Peri and smiles, briefly forgetting Bernard’s presence in the room. “If I am to be quite honest, love is a new, and frankly somewhat terrifying thing to me as well. I would be lying if I said I did not have my doubts about my feelings... but I believe that happiness is worth taking the chance. Bernard makes me a happier, a stronger, and a better person than I had ever been on my own, and if Yelcan does the same to you, then he must be very important to you, ja? I am so excited that you have found someone.”

Arissa then felt Bernard’s arms wrap around her and blushed furiously. “Gods, what do you Mordentish folk put in your drinks? I feel as if I had drank an entire keg myself!” Arissa then relaxed into Bernard’s embrace and smiles up to him as well.
 
Yelcan bowed deeply to Legba in response, saying “I’m sure I will be back soon, and I will try to come up with a deal that might surprise even you, Mr. Legba. But for now, good night.” Yelcan than backs away from Legba for a few steps before turning on his heel and heading out of the swamp...Or so he thought. He sees not the swamp but a wall covered in children's drawings, and he puts his hand on it before turning back to Legba with an eyebrow raised. "Uhh, can I go now? I don't see the door out of...wherever we are."
 
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Swampland:

"Fortune favors the bold. Pity, I would have thought Oberon's chosen would be more decisive. Safe travels... I hear the swamps are growing increasingly dangerous as of late. Would hate for something to happen to you on the way back."

Legba walks forward, and lifts a hand flicking Yelcan on the forehead. Yelcan falls back and slams into the swamp's mud. He wakes up in front of one of Legba's totems.
 
Yelcan's eyes narrow as Legba insults him and Lord Oberon. He raises a finger at Legba, saying "Lord Oberon is more than --" But his words are cut short as Legba just flicks him in the head and he lands in the mud. Sitting up and wiping off his clothes that are now covered in mud, he stands up in front of the totem, feeling genuinely insulted by the way he was treated. Yelcan just turned around muttering to himself “Yea, and fuck you too buddy.” He started walking back towards town, still trying to wipe off whatever mud he could.
 
As the words leave his mouth and he heads towards town, Yelcan notices a glowing light in the distance. Walking closer, the light dimmed and he was unable to determine what it was, but lights in the dark swamp did not make him feel peaceful as Legba’s warning rang in his ears. He tried to skirt around it, but the light suddenly swung at him, passing straight through his chest with a jolt. Reeling from the pain, he thrust his finger towards the skull, channeling the pain through it resulting in a flame that burned the skull even as it dodged out of the way. Yelca then swung out with two of his daggers but this entity, a glowing skull, dodged between his blades. The skull again made a pass through him and he grunted in pain as it shocked him once again, and he quickly drew a healing potion from his pack, downing it while pointing at it with his left arm where his wand was strapped and released two wild bolts of energy at him, one hitting and one flying off into the darkness.

The skull flew at him again, this time flying directly over where his heart would be and his body is wracked with pain, and for a second the shadows almost seem to draw towards Yelcan, and he feels this connection with Oberon, stronger than he ever had in his time at Blackburns crossing, but he had no time to think of what this meant. He loosed another two bolts of energy while healing himself with another potion, but the skull was just too fast and the bolts did not make contact. This time, as the skull made the same path towards Yelcan, he was able to roll under it, and he drew his new dagger from Isaiah’s body, the dagger he dubbed Hydefang after his best friend, and he sunk the dagger into the light, snuffing it out. Almost instantly, more lights popped up and Yelcan knew he had to run, now. As he turned to run, he followed his instincts, and shouted “Flauga!” and just like in his dream, his feet left the ground and he soared above the treetops towards town.

He made his way back to the manor, immediately heading towards his room. He strips down, hopping into a bath, before closing his eyes and relaxing for a moment. After a few minutes of silent relaxation, playing the scene where he met Legba over and over in his head, trying to see if he was able to discern anything from it as the scene with the glowing skull was prevalent in his mind still, so he unfortunately gave up.

He concentrated for another few seconds, and fading in from a shadow in the corner of the room, Hyde crawled along the stone floor slowly, clearly exhausted from an entire day of flying. Yelcan leaned out of the tub and picked up Hyde, placing him in the warm water, resulting in a satisfied purr from Hyde. Yelcan slowly trickled water down his scales just like he enjoyed before hopping out and drying himself off. He changed into a simple cotton pair of pants before picking Hyde up and bringing him to the bed.

Feeding Hyde some dried meats he grabbed from the kitchen, Yelcan gently probed for information in his search, he only received an exhausted negative feeling from Hyde, and Yelcan pushed no further. Once Hyde was sufficiently cared for, Yelcan laid back in his bed, Hyde curled up on his chest falling asleep almost immediately as Yelcan rubbed his hand slowly down Hyde’s scales. Yelcan was unable to sleep at the moment, just looking at his friend and trying to imagine life without him for an entire year, before eventually drifting off into a fitful night’s rest.
 
Dawn of the 17th Day:

Another day seems to wake up with another day starting out bright but clouds seem to be in the distant horizon. Many people go about their day, though there is talk around the town about the death of a young man who had mysteriously aged to about eighty years old, and how Sereal's daughter has been 'elf-shot'. Bjorn seems to have started up on the forge getting everything in working order. People also begin to talk about Jonathan's wasting sickness wondering if Maria's had come back from the grave to haunt him. He was mentioned as having already one foot in the grave.

Simon briefly stops by the Marsh House with a list of potential suspects, including Derek, Jonathan, Bjorn, a few other smiths along the river that might recognize the symbol and be able to use it. He lists Derek's family as unlikely but possible, as well as another unlikely name, James Blackburn for being close friends and knowing Jonathan's symbol, and having commissioned swords. He quickly explains to Bernard he's got a few other things to take care of today before he can have anyone chase down these leads to see if they go anywhere.
 
Bernard woke on the floor of Marsh house with a slight shiver. Getting up, he rolled his bedding and packed his pack then went outside to pray. As he finished his prayers, Simon approached discussing the potential suspects for Maria's case. After Simon left, Bernard stepped inside, checking on Arissa finding Peri curled up with her in his bed, then crossing to the kitchen where he began to mix a batter and heat a pan. Bernard cooked, humming to himself as he added some blueberries to the batter and cooked up some pancakes along with some bacon. His thoughts lingered on the night before, the love and family that, despite Merris' absence, made the house feel a little bit less empty.
 
Peri buried her head in the soft warm that was draped around her. Arms tucked in close as small as she could be as she snuggled into it. The smell of perfume ale and bacon she giggled to herself before truly waking.

Opening her eyes she saw a cascade of metallic red waves and as she tipped her chin up she saw Arissa’s sleeping face. Happiness and melancholy washed over her at once and she curled in closer for a few moments. “Thankyou for filling our family back up Arissa.” Whispering this she sighed deciding a few more minutes of comfort would be okay exiting the bed seemed like a terrible Idea when she could hide here despite the alluring Bear breakfast smell.
 
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