The Innkeeper's Wife

[jada]

"But you and Silvarn can't share a room. Besides who cares if it's not very lady like. For all she knows I could be married to one of you." Lyndi retailiated," and to be quite honest I don't think i'd like sleeping in a room by myself. Drunkin men scare me."

Lyndi really was confused by what Silvarn was doing and saying but she turned her attention back to the room situation," Find out what Silvarn wants to do. I'll be fine with what ever." Then she walked away downstairs.

[HoudiniDerek]

Kerodi watched Lyndi race off towards the inner kitchen and vanish from sight. He knew she was not happy so far with this endeavor, especially with the way that most decisions seemed to be made without her. Unfortuantely, there was little he could do about that at the moment. He had to focus on keeping the innkeeper and his wife confused about who and what they were a while longer. Lyndi would just have to wait.

Kerodi turned the other way and saw that Silvarn was still beckoning from the lobby. Closing the door to the room, Kerodi headed over and sat down next to him, moving his chair slowly so as to keep the entire inn in his sight and the fireplace at his back.

"No harm meant," Kerodi whispered lightly. "You are too harsh in your old age sometimes I think." Kerodi winked and waited for the young man behind the bar to be out of earshot before continuining. "I have an idea on how to keep the room situation from becoming one, but I needed to know the proper way to plan it. Knowing your powers, I have this plan."

Kerodi sat back and let his eyes wander up to the ceiling. His mind wandered back to the innkeeper's wife for a moment, but he quickly returned to the present when Silvarn shifted slightly in his chair. He smiled patiently and turned to face him again.

"You can tell your demon friend that he or she or it is free to read my mind at the moment. I have no secrets from either of you right now. Of course, I can't promise I won't close my mind at some point." Kerodi winked again and closed his eyes for a moment before continuing.

"I think the best sleeping arrangement would be to tell the innkeeper and his wife that you and I will share the room so as not to impose on the lady. I will let you have the room. I will keep watch tonight from the hallway and roam the grounds. My magic allows me to do this. Of course, I will need rest tomorrow night, but since your demon friend stood watch last night...it is only fair." Kerodi smiled again. "I will need rest tomorrow night and depending on where we are on our journey, you can take it or Lyndi can take watch. Just because we are around people does not mean we are safe." Kerodi's eyes glazed over with the rememberances of his childhood momentarily. He shook his head clear and leaned in to whisper to Silvarn.

"Plus, it gives me a chance to see if I can figure out what the innkeeper's wife might ask of us in return for her hospitality. I don't like surprises and I have a bad feeling that her need might be just that." Kerodi sat back and listened to the crackling of the fire, waiting for Silvarn to confer with his demon and get back to him.

[Silvarn]

Silvarn's cross mask he called a face finally cracked into a brief smile. "I do believe I am starting to like you. You may be the first person who has realized how old I can possibly be."

Oh, how tender. I can see it now. The wining the dining, the merrymaking, the lovemaking, the knot tying, the abode-buying, then more merry-and lovemaking, then finally the whining and the dying. You humans are very simple creatures, did you know that?

"Shut up, Scorcahr." the mage growled to the mantle.

One last thing before I wholeheartedly comply to your base wishes? the demon whined.

"Make it brief."

Just like your undergarments? Anyway, what is the deal between Kerodi and the innkeeper's wife. Did they have an affair recently? Or perhaps long ago but very memorable? I recall my first affair. I cheated on my second cousin with her great-aunt's stepsister's hellhound. Nameless to say, the three of them were not pleased.

"More on your family history later, Scorcahr."

Who said anything about family? I was talking about getting physical gratification from...

"That is quite enough. If you want to know what is between the two of them, find out yourself." Silvarn fully relaxed into the armchair. "And then tell me what you find when you have finished."

And when I do, I will make sure to twist it into the most perverted story ever. And that is saying quite a bit, considering I am a "vile" demon, after all. Oh, and I would warn about your friend about his openmindedness. Who knows what dark things I could find. Or perhaps insert.

Silvarn started, his feet lifting off the ground his fingers splaying across the armrests, a wild look in his eyes, though he never left the chair. "I am sorry, Kerodi." he said as his spasm brought him back to reality. "I, er, forgot you were there. But yes, I think that is a good arrangement."

His attention drifted back to the barren fireplace. He began to wonder about the old woman, consider the situation for himself. "She was rather eager to offer us shelter." the mage breathed to the palm of his hand as it covered his mouth and chin. "She had only met Lyndi, so she would not have known about Kerodi and I. Unless, perhaps she knew Lyndi was a shapeshifter. The ditz could have easily slipped in a cat eye or rat teeth without knowing it.

"But considering she might know about Kerodi and I. Perhaps she is an operative working for an organization trying to assassinate Kerodi. Or perhaps she is working...for," Silvarn gave another small shudder, "Navras? No, no. He is dead, only his cruel joke lives on.

"Or, maybe, she invited us, knowing the number of our party. She was hoping for just such a group. She wanted some help to fog up the mirrors of her chamber in a fiery night of wild, passionate...Scorcahr!" he roared with a fervent shaking of his head.

Hee, hee. Your fault. You let your mind wander. I just kidnapped it and had my way with it.

"Found out anything interesting yet?"

Nope, not yet. Actually, I have not even started yet.

"Ugh...get on with it."

On with what?

The mage began drawing in noisey amounts of air at a rapid pace. "I...will...kill you!" he snarled at the empty fireplace.

Aw, bite me. Oh, wait, I forgot. You cannot!

[HoudiniDerek]

Kerodi started as Silvarn suddenly yelled the demon's name to the entire inn. The startled young man behind the bar dropped a tray full of glasses and the innkeeper's wife came bustling in; Lyndi on her tail. While Silvarn fought to quiet the demon, Kerodi rose and went towards the lady of the inn.

"Our apologies, ma'am," Kerodi began. "Silvarn fell asleep and must have had a bad dream. He has not slept well the past few nights." Kerodi smiled warmly before continuing. "I apologize as well for the glasses. Please allow me to make that up to you." Kerodi fished around in his cloak and managed to protract some money.

"I know that you are letting us stay for free," Kerodi whispered conspiratorially, "but that does not mean that we cannot be considerate guests." Kerodi winked and handed her some money...enough to repair the glasses and pay for their food, if not their lodging. The lady smiled and retreated.

Kerodi nodded to the bartender and got a glass of stout ale. He took it back to Silvarn and sat down, holding the glass out to the mage. "Maybe you should give your demon some of this so she knows to be more careful. Getting you killed does not exactly do anything positive for her." Kerodi nodded to the glass and handed it over.

"Silvarn," Kerodi muttered. "Please keep her under control. Also, would you please tell her to stop teasing you about the great life we will be having? She is making me homesick." Kerodi winked at Silvarn and turned to Lyndi.

"Lyndi, have you learned what the lady wants us to do in return for staying here for the night? I only had enough money for the glasses and the food."

[Silvarn]

He...I...he said...knows... the demon sputtered with indignance. I will rend what little there is in that tiny mind of his! Then I will eat it, have it pass through my digestive tract, and then make him eat it! Then regurgetate it and eat it again! Scorcahr growled.

Silvarn could not help but smile again. The master says to congratulate you, a familiar sneering voice in Kerodi's started, and Silvarn took the glass and tossed its contents into the fireplace with a deft flick of his hand, then handing the empty glass back to Kerodi, you are the first person to make me involuntarily speechless.

Silvarn watched as Marisol busily swept up the broken glass. His fingers caressed his lips while he contemplated. The woman at one point glanced up from her work and looked over in Silvarn's direction. His brows furrowed when he got a vibe from her. One whose nature he could not put any one of his ten long, supple fingers on.

I would also like to mention, Master Kerodi, the voice grumbled with a voice saturated with verbal irony. that I am, in fact and contrary to popular opinion, a male. Always have been, have no intention of changing anytime in the near future. That is, if you do not mind you ungrateful, ignorant, piitful excuse for... the voice was suddenly cut short as Silvarn shot a glare at Kerodi.

[jada]

Lyndi came out of the kitchen when she herd Silvarn shouting. She hurried over to him and Kerodi. Kerodi paid the innkeepers wife for the broken glasses and food and then turned to Lyndi,"Lyndi, have you learned what the lady wants us to do in return for staying here for the night? I only had enough money for the glasses and the food."

"Sorry Kerodi I was helping her cook. She gave me some great reipies for the road. I don't know what she wants us to do. Why don't you ask her. It can't be bad she really is a nice woman." Lyndi smiled at him. She knew Kerodi and Silvarn didn't care to much for this place but Lyndi was around people again and it made her so happy. Loseing her family and friends so long ago was a terrible pain to deal with, but makeing new friends...maybe not faimly quite yet, but friends was always a good thing.
She turned to Silvarn," You really need to keep it down, no matter how much your demon compainon pisses you off. Seriously I thought I was going to be the one slipping up and wanting the disire to turn into a cute little animal but noo I can control myself." She teased. "Well I'm going back to the kitchen if you guys don't need me, wait why did I ask you don't..." She turned on her heel and quickly walked to the kitchen. Ahhh this was the place for her, she could smell the freash cookies.

[HoudiniDerek]

"My apologies, Scorcahr," thought Kerodi. "As temperamental as you always are, it made sense you would be female." Kerodi laughed mentally and listened to the demon berate him. Suddenly, the noise stopped and Silvarn was looking at Kerodi intently.

Kerodi broke the glance and looked over to Marisol, who was still cleaning up broken glass. The bartender and Lyndi had both disappeared. With a questioning look, Kerodi nodded towards Marisol and rose. He walked quietly over to the lady as she straightened up.

"Dinner'll be ready in about an hour," Marisol said pleasantly. "We only have a couple other guests in the inn so that will be quaint. Lyndi has been helping me with the cooking and the table setting. Make sure the two of you are there." She giggled happily and wandered off towards the kitchen, the glass clinking merrily in the dustpan.

Kerodi glanced behind the counter and saw no one. Spinning slowly, he saw no one in the room. Curious, he regained his seat next to Silvarn. Lowering his voice, he leaned in, "What's going on?"

[jada]

Marisol walked into the kitchen and dumped the glass out in the trash, placed the dust pan and broom back in the corner of the room and came over to Lyndi.

Lyndi thought it was kindof odd how everyone that worked in the inn was now in the kitchen. Lyndi supposed they were just hanging around since there was hardly anyone staying at the inn.

Then a thought hit lyndi as if someone had thrown a rock at her. When Lyndi had fisrt met Marisol, she had said the inn was pretty full, that they only had two rooms open, but the inn wasn't full, there was hardly anyone there. the hair on the back of Lyndi' neck went up. Something was indeed wrong and she didn't like being away from kerodi and silvarn.

Marisol grabbed Lyndi's wrist as she made her way to the door, "My dear, your not going to help finish makeing dinner?"

"No, I'm sorry, I just wanted to talk with my friends."

"Well I'm sorry you won't get to again." Marisol pulled Lyndi in and stuck a knife to her neck," so much as whisper and I'll kill you, got it?" she hissed at Lyndi. Lyndi shook her head slowly and gulped silently. Marisol drug her out back. "Now I told your friends that dinner wouldn't be ready for another hour. Being as stupid as they are, I doubt they will even acknowledge your dissappearance. Which gives me time to get well away from here. You made one big mistake my dear. You shifted into a hawk earlier, I know because I followed you and watched you. Hardly anyone comes into this town, but a shifter. That was a rare treat. I'm turning you in for what ever amout of money I can get for you. Now, you will do as I say or I'll get some of my friends to make you do what I say."

As Marisol said that four big men came around the side of the building towards her and Marisol, including the innkeeper himself.

Lyndi gulped again and tried to pull away from marisol. but there wasn't much she could do. Four men could easily overpower her in any shape she shifted into.

"Don't struggle against me! I'll just make it harder on you!" Marisol threatened.

Lyndi thought in her mind as loud as she could, she screamed to Schochar. She prayed he could hear her, and that he would actually care enough to help her. "PLEASE HELP ME! Schochar please, they are kidnapping me. They are going to sell me. Please help, tell Silvarn and Kerodi please." She begged him and hopped for the best.

"Let's get a move on." Marisol shoved Lyndi in between all four men. Two of them grabbed ahold of her arms and one walked in front of her and the other walked behind her. Marisol walked infront of them all. She led them into the woods where she had a carrige waiting. Three of the men climbed inside with Lyndi, while Marisol and her husband steerd the horses from up top.

Lyndi sat between two of the big men and the other sat across from her. She tried to sink back in the seat and away from them but it didn't help. she shifted into a small puppy and layed down on the seat. all of the men starred at her in wonder, and one tried to pet her. Lyndi snapped at him and growled. "Lay one hand on me and you won't have a hand anymore." Lyndi thought anoyyed. she really hope kerodi and Silvarn would come to help her.

[Silvarn]

"I was hoping you would be able to tell me." Silvarn rested a hand on his knee, then his opposite elbow on top of that, stroking the coarse patch of stubble that was convieniently located there. Facial hair aids with cognitive processes, or so his father had told him.

The image of a yellow-skinned being checking its long, scraggily fingernails, though they could be considered claws at this point. I have something to tell you. I miss doing this.

"Checking your lovely nails or being annoying? Because one of them you always manage to succeed at, no matter what the situation."

I miss my body, of course. Oh, and your shapeshifting companion has been carried off.

Silvarn made a disturbing choking noise and sat bolt upright. "Wh-what?!"

A small tapping noise came from within the mage's skull. Did you not hear me the first time? Lyndi's mind screamed for help. I can only assume she has been kidnapped.

"Why did you not stop them?"

I forgot my firewand at home, sheesh. What do you want from me?

"Tell me where they are going!" he commanded.

You will need to be fast. It is several horses you are outracing. At if I recall correctly, you cannot ride an equine to save your life. In fact, I believe youare afraid of those big, dumb beasts.

"Fast, hmm?" Silvarn touched his fingers to his temples, then whipped them around in a tight circle to the opposite side. Lightning crackled from his fingers and eyes and a shudder ran through his body.

"Lyndi has been taken hostage. I hope you can run fast or ride hard." Silvarn had to deliberatly slow down his talking so that it would make sense to Kerodi. Much like trying to explain something to a particularly thick child. "If not, I will make sure to leave you some action." He added.

Within the span of a second, he was out the door and running with the speed electricity. He had bound Scorcahr's mind to his own. The Thunder-Mind had been invoked. Silvarn had joined the chase.

[jada]

A few tears welled up in Lyndi's eyes, she was begging to think no one was going to help her. she would be sold to who knows, as if she were an animal, property. that feeling hurt her, it stung like a thousand knives. She layed down on the seat and curled her little puppy dog tail in close to her. She tried to not get close to the men next to her but they wanted to be close to her. The one kept trying to pet her like she was just a cute little puppy with no thought, no feelings. Lyndi shifted back into her human form and snapped at the man, "In case you forgot, you worthless, cruel, stupid, insonificant, pea-brained, pieace of crap, I AM NOT JUST A DOG! I HAVE A HUMAN BRAIN AND DO NOT APPREACIATE YOU PETTING ME!" She shifted back into a puppy and jumped down to the floor of the carrige. She layed down and closed her eyes. She tried to pretend she was laying on a nice warm bed but it didn't really work considering she could feel the carrige beneath her move and it was anything but warm.

[HoudiniDerek]

Kerodi had nodded to Silvarn, but he was already out the door. He had been practicing his ability to hear the demon, but most of that time had been spent determining why someone would kidnap Lyndi. Silvarn had sped off with some of his innate magic it appeared.

Kerodi stood and strode quickly to the backdoor. He did not see Silvarn or the horses anywhere that the demon had mentioned. What was bothering him the most was the fact that whoever had taken Lyndi had waited until they were all the inn. Why wait? Why not take her when she had first arrived in town? Why not take her before Kerodi and Silvarn had arrived at the inn?

Something about the whole scenario screamed for Kerodi to take his time and consider. Unfortunately, Kerodi knew that time was rarely something you could take for granted...and with Lyndi and Silvarn moving quickly away, it would not be easy to take his time. He would need help of some sort.

Kerodi reached inside his cloak and pulled out a long, thin whistle. He put it to his mouth and played a short, sad tune on it. He repeated this three times. He put the whistle back and waited patiently. Suddenly a great shadow fell over him and a huge falcon landed...large enough for a small child to ride.

"Hello, Sansrin. I need a ride." Kerodi gestured at himself and he seemed to become transparent. He climbed onto the back of the falcon and strapped himself on. He cast a scent for the bird from his memory. "Can you find the person with that scent?" The falcon screeched and soared above the town and headed towards some of the denser parts of the forest, away from the Lonea paths. Kerodi wondered why they were headed into some of the darker parts of the Selkia and realized that if they were lucky, they might never know. He closed his eyes and rested, the magic having drained some of his energy. Sansrin would let him know when danger was near.

[Silvarn]

Dry leaves and small pebbles kicked up into the air as Silvarn blazed past them.

Reaching out with his fused mind, Silvarn altered his course slightly and plunged into a deep forest. His legs continued pounding the foliage while his torso maneuvered to get out of the way of large objections. They could prove fatal if he crashed into one of them at this velocity.

A carriage in the middle of a forest? He asked himself.

The scenery whipped past him in a blur of greens and browns until, finally, he heard the unmistakable noise of a dozen galloping feet and four rickety wheels. The mage put on one last burst of speed and leapt, sending him, for a moment, above the treetops.

He crashed down in front of the horses, which skidded to a halt, then broke and ran wildly through the forest. The carriage still clattered toward him dangerously. He held up his foot as he would a rolling ball and caught the blow with it, stopping it instantaneously. Two elderly people flew off the driver's seat and past either side of the planeswalker's head.

Silvarn took his foot off of the carriage and cracked his knuckles. A glimmer of a smile formed on his face and his eye flashed with the prospect of battle. This was going to be fun.

[jada]

The carrige stopped and Lyndi was slammed up against the wall. She barked loudly. She was gunna have a few bruses but Silvarn and Kerodi came to save her. Lyndi turned into, it would be easier for her to escape that way. She clawed at the door. Scratching it with all her might. One man grabbed Lyndi up by her stomach and held her tight. She snapped at him and tried to stuggle away but it was no use. All three men stepped out of the carrige keeping Lyndi well surrounded. She morphed back into a human and the man dropped her on the ground. Quickly the other two grabbed a hold of her arms. "You could be a little gentlier! You great fat-" She was cut short as the man hit her in the face.

"THAHT IS IT! Go ahead stab me with you damn knife, but I'll kill you in the process!" Lyndi pulled away from the two men holding her with great strength they watched her and realised they no longer had her under control.

She jumped at the man who had dropped her. In mid air she transformed into a black panther. She clawed at him and bit him. He screamed in pain and Lyndi quickly ended his life. The other two tackled Lyndi to the ground and held her down. She tried to fight them but she wasn't to terrible strong even in her panther form, two men were a lot stronger then one.

Marisol and her husband had come running back over. They ran past Silvarn, hardly even notising him. They didn't realise he had been the cause of the crash.Marisol pulled out her knife and her husband was armed with his cross bow. He pointed the bow at Lyndi and the two men got off of her.

She morphed into her elven form,"Go ahead and shoot me, but know that I'll take your life as well before I die!" she threatend.

"You are comming with us, we will walk all the way to the himself if we have to but you will come or we will knock you out and drag you with us!" Marisol countered.

Lyndi knew they wouldn't kill her but she couldn't just refuse because they would drag her along anyway.

(She hadn't seen Silvarn yet. Just to let you know. =] )

[HoudiniDerek]

Kerodi was flying high above the Selkia, trusting the eyes of the bird to see any necessary detail through the foilage. Kerodi had been ready to veer towards another section of the forest when he had heard a high pitch scream of horses and the crash of a carriage.

Kerodi whirled the bird around and began regaining the mass he had lost back at the inn. The bird swooped between the trees and Kerodi jumped clear, landing and rolling to his feet. In front of him he saw that Marisol and husband, with a couple of other people were holding Lyndi. In the few feet behind them, Silvarn stood waiting...the wrecked carriage at his feet.

Marisol looked up in shock and saw Kerodi at the same time the husband looked up and saw Sansrin. The wife screamed and grabbed at the arm of her husband causing the crossbow to fire. Sansrin dived, the arrow missing his wingspan. Kerodi starterd forward but was stopped by the two men that had been holding Lyndi.

"I am not of the temperament today, gentlemen," Kerodi said. One of the men grinned while the other had a puzzled, but amused look on his face. Kerodi hoped that Silvarn was going to be able to rescue Lyndi and fend off the innkeepers. Kerodi whipped out his sword as the two men did.

"Shall we?" Kerodi asked, slicing through the thin forest air. The first man feinted while the other attacked. Kerodi parried once, twice and knocked the second man's sword out of his grip. However, that second parry had lost him the advantage. The first swordsman managed to knock his sword from his hand before he could defend properly.

"You shouldn't fight when mad then," the first man said, the sword at Kerodi's throat. "Maybe I should kill you now so you don't have that problem again." He grinned and his fingers tightened around the sword handle.

"Another time," Kerodi said, recognizing the shadow that fell across the man. The man turned too late. Sansrin severed the arm from his body, causing the man to jerk into his partner. Kerodi picked up his fallen sword and knocked them both into submission with the handle.

"Thanks, Sansrin!" Kerodi called as the bird winged back above the treeline. Suddenly Kerodi remembered the others and turned to see what had happened while he was busy. The sight was not what he had expected at all....

[jada]

Marisol had moved to stand behind her husband, who reloaded his crossbow. Lyndi raced away from them and towards Kerodi. She stood next to him ready to fight or provide him with a means of escape. From where she was standing she saw Silvarn.

She forgot everything that was happening around her and puzzled over what in the heck he was doing. Maybe he just was going to step in when he was needed. Maybe he thinks Kerodi and I can handle ourselves.