38 In the Shadow of Queen Brenda (2/2)
Nelda decided that if she must be some kind of martyr, there was no point being a maudlin one. She was getting into the spirit of mental list making.Albeit not beyond five items as her memory wasn't very good. [Too much tequila in grad school. Probably,]
THINGS I REALLY NEED
1) SmithGuild.
2) Access to the Porter to shove his inconveniently heroic ass through a portal.
3) A flamethrower or whatever to thoroughly destroy the Porter.
[Good.That's way less than five things. Even I can remember that.]
#
The harpies lived in a kind of open-sided wooden pavilion surrounded by trees with whispering needles.There was a clearing to one side where split fish were hanging to dry, and on the other where it could be seen that the pavilion was on top of a hill with one gently sloped side that they had walked up, and one side that was a cliff down to the sea.
The interior of their home was round with scattering of furniture and a fire pit in the center.Loose curtains screened off some areas.The offering of safety for the night clearly came from the presence of the harpies, not the security of the house.
Lady Storm recruited HerbGuild to set up lanterns and make a second copy of the prophecy onto a bleached animal hide.
Swift left them to fly around the island in the last light of day and ensure all was well.
This left the two satyrs on a bench before the central fire pit. HoneyBeard considered that the rug at their feet which seemed to be made from a Manticore.Thoroughly unpleasant people, Manticores, but people all the same; suggesting that harpies not only ate people, they ate people who ate people. HoneyBeard moved his hoofs back to rest on the shingle flooring.
The grey harpy, Lady Storm sat beside them, quite comfortable on the ground and still eye to eye with them, given her stature.
”I have not met satyrs before,” She purred.”Where exactly do you hail from.”
”Our village,” BugleHead replied happily.
”And where exactly is that village of your delightful people.” In her mouth, the word 'delightful' sounded a lot like the word 'delicious.'
”The dragon took us…” BugleHead flinched.”HoneyBeard why did you pinch me?”
”And why would I do that?” HoneyBeard asked.Not rhetorically at all.Ad them to Storm ”We have no notion about how to get to there from here.”He gave her a sorry,-not-sorry smile.
Storm pretended to pout.”Be careful, morsel. Once you leave our care, little satyr.You may yet find a place close to my heart.”He had rested conspicuously on her belly.
”I think she likes you,” BugleHead sotto-whispered.