Something in the Garden [Open if you'd like!]

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

She was feeling better than she had in weeks, even with the pending full moon coming on Tuesday, though if this was thanks to the old lady she had been spending time with or the old leather strip that had been placed around her wrist.

A curious thing it was and, as she knelt down in the garden, at around mid-day, dealing with stubborn weeds that were threatening the azalea bushes she could reflect on the growing she's done and recent changes.

There were some things that never change.

"Light forsaken weeds," frustration in her words as a hard tug succeeded in pulling a weed from the dirt. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were actually benefiting from the compound meant to kill you."

They were weeds and she wouldn't put it past them to do just that: benefit from poison.

"I pull one of you and three more grow in the vacant spot."

De'Ryanna loved working with nature, being outdoors, and especially having her hands in the earth, but that didn't mean she was not frustrated by it now and again. And acknowledging her feelings towards things was one her recent breakthroughs.

"Out of all the other places there are in this garden, and there are many many places, why the majority of you choose to congregate this bush is beyond me. Like you're keeping something hidden or protected." Talking to plants was perfectly normal for a person to do, even if the talking was more like arguing.

While she was pulling away at the weeds that gathered around the azalea bush something caught her eye. It was small, a glint of metal at the base of one of the bushes steams, but it was unnatural and did not belong there. She might not have even seen it had she not been pulling at the weeds so, but she had and now it had her attention.

Leaning in on the right side her fingers reached for the metal glint deep in the bush and only brushed against it. Whatever it was, it was not so easily moved by fingers.

She sat back up and moved the basket she had been placing the weeds in off to the side to give her more room. Shifting off of her knees De'Ryanna laid stomach down on the dirt to have better advantage at getting whatever this 'glint' happened to be.

[Calanon]

It had taken him years.

No, not years, a couple of centuries with a few fistful of years, to figure out and track down where this person was and the only thing standing in his way was a wall.

Yes. A wall. A large stone wall with pieces of granite and moss and other idiosyncrasies that composed the make-up of this structure. But it was just a wall and it wasn't about to slow down the aptitude and determined force of Alyan Calanon! He had faced tougher obstacles before and this one was no different.

He would scale it.

Yes, scale the wall. It was the only reasonable solution and, with the indentions and small cracks that were bound to be there this would be a snap! And hopefully not one of his wrist.

The tanned -and not so tall - elf flicked back his cloak, rubbed his hands together, and attacked the wall with a small jump, grabbing at the first sufficient handhold he saw and pulling upwards while he pushed his feet against the stone. Hand and foot. Hand and foot. Ha - aaa - ga - haa! "Good Eru! Curse be upon weak wrist!"

For he had, indeed, appeared to have sprained his wrist despite the wrappings he had around both of them for extra support. However! Calanon did not fall! His good hand still held on to its holding and his footing was secure, it was only that wrist.

Looking up he saw that he didn't have far to go, just a bit more and he'd be over the top. Over the top and... then what? Fall to the ground? Climb down like he did up? Hope that a tree was down for more safer passage? Oh Calanon, clearly this plan was not fully thought out. In the end it will work out and he shall be victorious! As always.

Shaking out the now-sprained-wrist, that he'd deal with later, he pushed himself upwards and onward! A few tries more and he was cresting over the wall and what did he see but a garden. If there was a garden then there probably was a door or gate somewhere that lead out. Right? No time to think on that now, there was a tree within reach and this is what he jumped for!

Luckily he was able to catch hold of the branch. Unfortunately he semi forgot about his wrist so his grip wasn't that great. STILL fortunately he was able to continuously grab on to branches and the trunk that he went slowly to the ground instead simply falling to the ground.

He did land on his feet with all the poise and grace of an elf. Even if he had partially fallen down the tree his landing was superb.

Which way now?

Looking around he saw someone laying on the ground with nearly half their torso stuck under bush. Seemed like a good of a direction to go as any? "In my opinion, you're to big to fit all the way under there. "

[Delivery]

As it happened, while the elf was scouring the wall, a horse drawn wagon was pulling up to the Inn near the stables.  Two men sat upon the seat of the wagon, one holding the reigns.  The one who was not, was climbing down from the wagon once it came to a complete stop.  The other man awaited the possible arrival of a stable hand. 

The man who had climbed down from the wagon was moving towards the gardens.  He had been given specific instructions on how to behave upon his arrival.  He was dusting himself off as he was covered in road dust.  He entered the garden through a small gate.  The elf would have already been upon the ground on the other side of the wall at this point, so he was yet to be seen.

The man was given instructions to look for a bubbly blonde woman, a dark haired exotic looking woman, a green haired male elf, or a blonde haired male elf.  He had been told that their names were Epiphany, Miss Aybara, Ar, or Elessar, respectively.  He had been told to not go in the front of the Inn because it had been known that he would be dusted by the trip.  He was told to go through the gardens and hope someone was out there so he would not have to enter the Inn and get it dirty.

So as this nondescript man strolled through the gardens, he happened across a green haired male elf.  He was standing near a woman who was partially obscured by a bush.  Having no idea that there could be two green haired male elves about the Inn, he addressed this male.   

“Beggin’ yer pardon sir.  Would you happen to be Ar?” 

His accent gave him away as someone of lesser breeding.  But where he was from, that did not matter.  He wasn’t a gentile, but he had wages and a roof over his families heads, and those were the important things in life.

“My name be George.  I was sent here with sum boxes a stuff.  I was told ta find some certain peoples.  Is you one a 'em?”

He spoke the truth.  He simply hoped that he had already found one of those he was sent to find.  Could it be that easy?  George sure hoped so.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

Just because she was one-third of the way under the bush, that did not mean that she was deaf to the things going on around her. In fact, due to her heighten senses she heard the commotion of the man making a clumsy climbing effort against the tree but rather then try to quickly untangle herself from the ground and her fingers from the dirt, she chose to stay where she was. Even if her position was not that of any respectable lady.

Content to stay where she was until her ears picked up the footsteps of the newcomer coming closer.

Perhaps she should have been a bit more concerned that this person was approaching? But he didn't smell dangerous and, if he had any ill intentions, it wasn't to likely he would have stopped to exchange banter.

Speaking of which. "If, in fact, I were trying to fit under a bush, I would have picked something fuller and with a less dense root base." Finally freeing herself from the plant, she moved outward and got a look at her visitor, all while brushing debris off her front and hands. "Just as I imagine you would pick a better suited tree, or perhaps even a door, the next time you choose to enter an establishment."

Like all new people she comes in contact with she made now attempt to hide the way she took him in with her eyes. Studying his shape and form of stance, noticing his dark green hair and pointed ears. The look of him was familiar.

Before she could further entertain thoughts on his appearance the sounds of another drew near and what he said made her chuckle a bit. "He certainly is not Armandeus." And who was this person?

Whoever he was, he knew something of this place, and the one that he sought as he had called the elf by his shortened name. Though she had never seen him before. "Who are you to be looking for him?" Looking between the two males now.

[Calanon]

There was a girl under that bush!

Well, he knew it was a girl before she had revealed herself however, he had a twin and there were times when the two of them got together that a person could be a wondering on the who-who of it all. Then again, their bodies were different considering one was male and the other female, but anyway, that was another topic.

But. Ow, ow, ow! Wait a minute, talk about injuring a poor elf's pride! Not only had she heard his poorly executed tree descent, but she pointed it out for display! Geez, good thing no one else had been around. Save the guy some figment of his imagined heroics.

So what did this guy do but straightened up and pushed back his cloak off one shoulder and retook that adventurers stance of his. "Though I did land on my feet. It's not so much how you get down as how you land."

Yes. That's a good selling point.

Before anything else could happen they were joined by another fellow who - thank the gods - had nothing to say about this elf's entrance! Though what he did say was interesting, and what this lady said even more that he took a backwards step and gasped.

"Armandeus? Armandeus Valandil! Where! Where! Is he here?" Unless the one in question was somewhere under that bush, this elf here was inclined to think the answer was no. Though he could be in the building!

"I may not be him but surely you can see the resemblance!" If he was mistaken for him then he had to look something like Armandeus! Granted, it's been a couple hundred years on Genesis since they last were together but somethings had to still be the same.

His searching could be over!

[Delivery]

The woman came out from under the bush, and wow, she was pretty.  Even she did have some dirt on her from being under the bush?  He stepped around the pile of weeds and offered his hand. But she exclaimed that the green haired elf guy wasn't Ar ... Well, she said Armandeus, but it sounded like they were talking about the same guy.  And the green haired elf seemed very excited by the mentioning of the, well., the other green haired elf's name.  So the hand was pulled back before it had even been fully extended to the elf.  George didn't want to get hit if this elf got too hyper. 

"Uh, sorry, I's not sure if that is who I is talkin' about. I was just given a list a names with a bit of a description an thought maybe you was the green haired elf on my list."

He looked back at the woman on the ground?  If she wanted a hand up, she could have one cause George always offered a hand to a lady sitting upon the ground.  He cocked his head a little when he looked at her.  Brown hair, exotic beauty.  Maybe he had found someone off his list after all.

"I'm sorry, I'm George.  Manny sent me, well us, with some boxes.  He gave me a list and told me to find someone off the list to give the boxes to.  Said it was cause they would get to their ... Des ... Destin ... Oh how the heck do ya say that word? Desitinashun?  But you look ta be a perty exotic beauty, and ya do got brown hair.  So maybe I did find me a person off my list.  Is you miss Eyebeara?"

He pronounced her name the way he thought it was because of the way it was spelled on his list.  His education was a little lacking, but he wasn't completely stupid, just a little slow sometimes.  He looked at the green haired elf again, to see if the guy was ok.  He seemed to have gotten a little excited and George wanted to make sure that he hadn't hyperventilated or something and was laying on the ground.  If the guy was ok, he would look back to the woman.  His employer had taught him to always look at the person you are talking with.  Though she had used some big word that George didn't know and couldn't say.  Conversing with she had said.

"Does ya know Manny, er uh, Mr. Costas?"

He thought he would ask that just in care there was more than one Miss Aybara at the Inn.  After all, there seemed to be more than one green haired male elf here.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

"Unless you are looking for a corsair there is none other here that would go by the tag of 'Ar'." How dreadfully rough and roguish that sounded, even coming off of her own tongue. Her foster sister called the elf that and now she had to wonder how her mouth ever suffered to speak it. "For reference of your own records, and diction, his name is Ar-man-dee-us." Saying it slowly for the man and looking to sound it out in hopes that his ear would hear correctly.

And while they were on the bit about proper pronunciation of words and names. "The word that you are looking for is: des-tin-nation. And my name is: Ah-bah-rah." Hopefully that will help from any further butchering of her name as well as give the elf her name.

Whoever had sent this guy had added in a bit of flattery and she could logically assume that it was Manny Costas.

The manner of her appearance would have to suffice, there wasn't anything wrong with it aside from the bits of dirt scattered here and there on her garments. Politely turning down this man's offer of a hand she rose under her own power, one fluid and graceful movement all while her wrist flicked over her skirts to brush away the dirt. "What manner of business does Mister Costas have with the Tel'Ranaemyn?"

De'Ryanna looked to the green-haired elf, "And you? What is your business with Armandeus?"

She put out a sigh that was feigned regret. "Of course, this means that I have to put a hold on my current task to help the two of you. It would only be right for you to offer your assistance to me so that I may help you in return."

While it was true that she didn't know if the elf needed her help or not - it appeared that he would - there was nothing wrong in putting the idea there that she was the one able to help him. And the delivery man as well.

[Calanon]

Did his natural charm and savoir-faire did not win her over? She wasn't awestruck and asking what it was she could do for him? When he had left home oh how the females were sad to see him go and, at every stop he's been to along the way he was greeted with smiles and winks of fortune. But not here. Here he had already been called out for his lack of balance and now was even being suggested to do manual labor?!

Dear Eru, this wasn't his day, was it?

As he was asked what his business was he straightened up as best he could and tossed back his hair. "I am Alyan Calanon, and I have spent hundreds of years in search of my long lost brother, who many thought was dead, Armandeus Valandil." That may explain why he was mistaken for his brother by the other man.

"And you, Aybara, have given hope that my journey is over!" Oh, wait, she had a task for them? "If I assist you?"

[Delivery]

Despite appearances, George had no issues with learning something new.  So it was with a rather large smile that he repeated the words that the lovely woman helped him with.  Though, he did have a question. He would ask it before he tried the pronunciations that he had just learned.

"I'm sorry miss.  But what is a corsair?"

That was a word he had never heard before.  Or if he had, he had no memory of it.  He scratched at his head for a moment.  He meant to pronounce those words.  An education was a good thing to have, no matter where you got it from.

"So that was Armandeus, not Ar?  Or is Ar ok?"

That was meant for her as she had already said that the elf was not Ar, or Armandeus.  And the other elf was too happy to hear the other name to say that it wasn't him. So George continued with his pronunciation lessons, quietly.

"Des ... tin ... a ... tion.  Destination.  And Ah ... bah ... rah.  Aybara.  Got it, I think."

He beemed with a smile that looked rather childish on his aged and weathered features.  He had learned to speak new words, and say them the right way even.  So he waited while the elf had his turn to speak.  So the elf's name was Alyan.  And he was Ar, Armandeus' brother?  That explained two green haired elves.  George was willing to bet that if Manny knew there were two, he would have put a better description.

Then she asked about what it was that Manny wanted.  Heck, that was an easy question.

"Manny sent some boxes of stuff from the Keep.  They are for Miss Epiphany's orphans.  He said we needed to bring them here 'cause he didn't know where the church was."

George found himself scratching his head for a moment.  She has said something that didn't all register to him at first.  He thought about what she said and then exclaimed proudly.

"Oh!  You need some help.  Whatcha need?  I can help ya.  I'd be happy to."

Was he right?  What that what the exotic beauty had said?  George hoped so, he would feel so stupid if he was wrong.  But it was hard to understand what she had said.  She talked fancy like his boss lady did.  George was learning, but it was a slow process.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

He, was Armandeus' younger brother? That proclamation from the obvious youthful elf, that was full of bravado, only came as a slight surprise to De'Ryanna. I'd the two of them were not blood related then she would have been very surprised. However, no matter how alike he was, she felt that there were no circumstances that would cause her to mix the elves.

"I find it hard to believe, Alyan, were hope for your quest," she said as she stepped aside to her gardening bag, knelt, and produced two shovels. "You could not have continued searching for so long if not for glimmers of hope every few steps of the way."

The shovels were offed to the two men, handle side out, as she continued to speak, this time her eyes directed to George. "Calling him Ar is not okay since you obviously do not know him and you have not been given leave to butcher his name." That's how she felt about names. Shortened forms of them were used with permission, with people that regarded each other on a certain level. This man did not know the elf so why should he have the pleasure of a short-name?

"Perhaps you will know corsair by its more brutish term, pirate. Here." Gesturing towards them with the shovel hilts once more. "Underneath this bush, near the center, is a metal box - obviously if the gardener had known it was there he would have uprooted it before planting. But that's irrelevant." To her it was.

"What's in the box is of no importance to either of you, only that you successfully retrieve it from within the roots of this bush without damaging the plant or the box. I estimate that the box is the lenght of my arm from wrist to elbow." She looked at the both of them.

"A simple task that should not take long to accomplish with the pair of you working together." Though, George could always change his mind and decide to simply drop the items at the front desk, and Alyan decide to go look for Armandeus around the Inn on his own, but they both had agreed - more or less - to help. Hadn't they.

[Calanon]

And now, now he would be reduced to manual labor? To getting down on his hands and his knees in the dirt and pulling apart the earth to retrieve a box? Did she not know that she was talking to an elf?

Looking at her in disbelief he took one of the small shovels and held it against his chest as though he could not believe he was touching such a thing! "You want. . . want me to rip away from the plant the very thing it has been set to guard? Surely the box has some greater purpose that we cannot begin to understand if this bush," brushing his fingers against the green leaves with a grace that only an elf, tree nymph, or Wood Elemental could possibly have towards such things, "has decided to harbor it so."

Was she going to buy it? It's not like he was lying, because he wasn't. Why should they uproot the box and disturb the bush when it wasn't being harmed? Strange these humans were, even if seh did say not to harm the plant in taking out the box. He was going to hope that what he said made good enough argument for him having no part in it! Perhaps she'll let him go?

The small shovel wa turned around in his hand. "I wouldn't even know how to begin using this...." The extra measure!

[Delivery]

George smiled when Miss Aybara explained to him what a corsair was.  He did know what a pirate was.  So he slightly chuckled about the Ar joke.  The part about the pirate and the Ar anyway.  Because it was a long standing joke with a lot of different peoples and beings that pirates said Ar a lot.  But after his chuckle he chose to address the other comment that she had made first. 

"Yes ma'am, not allowed to call him Ar.  I will make note of that.  Perhaps Mr. Costas put Ar because he couldn't spell his full name, or maybe he wasn't used to using it?"

An attempt at saving Manny from a similar scalding.  After all, if she got upset because it said Ar on the list, George was pretty sure that the next time Miss Aybara laid eyes upon Manny, she might have something to say about his use of Ar on the list.  So George was trying to look out for him.

He listened as Alyan spoke of not wanting to disturb the plant and remove the box.  As the green haired elf made his argument, George casually reached for the handle of the trowel he was being handed by Miss Aybara.  But he didn't speak as long as the elf was speaking.  In fact, the only time his eyes left the man was when he made sure to look at the handle he was gently retrieving from her.  After all, he didn't want to grab the wrong thing.

Once it seemed the elf was done speaking, George chimed in.  He had definitely agreed to help her, and he was a man of his word.  He would be without a job were that not the case.  He half chuckled at the elf before speaking.  Not because he was making fun of him, no not at all.  It was just amusing to George that anyone would get so worked up over taking something out of the ground that obviously did not belong there.  It didn't, right?  Metal boxes don't grow, so they don't belong buried in a garden?

"Let me see what I can do for you Miss Aybara."

And look at that, he even pronounced her name correctly.  He had some accent, but it wasn't enough to make the same mistake he had made before.  After all, she had helped him learn how to pronounce it right, and so he did.

He lowered himself to his knees in front of the shrub.  He began to use the point of the trowel to move dirt away from the plant, carefully.  She had asked that they not damage the plant or it's roots.  George could do that.  Once he had a good amount of dirt away from the base of the plant, he used his fingers to start clearing the dirt from between the roots.  This way he was less likely to accidentally cut a root with the tip of the trowel.  He looked up to Miss Aybara.

"Do you have something I can set this plant in once it's out ma'am?  I don't want the roots to start dieing once they are free of the ground. And I'll be needing some water for when I put it back, cause it's gunna be mighty thirsty after getting moved around like this."

It almost sounded like George knew what he was doing, didn't it?  He would use the trowel when needed to loosen up the dirt, and in some places he heaped shovels of it out of the way.  But there were no roots coming away with the dirt, at least not so far.  George seemed to have a very tender hand for this task.  And he was pretty sure that the plant, and Miss Aybara would both appreciate that. Maybe Alyan would too, given it seemed to George that the elf loved plants.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

While the elf proceeded to tell of his affinity towards disturbing the vegetation - something she assumed he suddenly thought of to be a valid reason for not working - the other man had no such reservations. "I did not know you were such a lover of nature, Alyan. In that case I'm sure that you will be going over to the tree you tousled with to offer full apologies for it's treatment and rites to any of the broken limbs." Ending her words with a pointed and direct( woo stare to the young elf.

So worried about damaging this bush, he should be distraught over the prospect of his fall breaking parts of the tree. Unless he was lying.

"Go about your way then, seeing George work must be heartbreaking." To her it was playful banter and she did what she could to keep the smirk from forming upon her lips.

"Thank you, George." He was doing a good job at the task at hand, to take a guess she would say that he's done it before.

She watched him work, standing at a distance so any loose dirt wouldn't end up hitting her, but the ground where it belonged.

Then he asked about a pot for the plant and she shook her head, giving a small shake of her hand as well. "Don't uproot the plant. Can't you pull out the silver box without pulling the entire bush out of the ground?" She didn't see a need for the plant to be disturbed for the box and assumed it could be done.

[Calanon]

Just to point out a fact, Alyan didn't like this woman to much. There was nothing wrong with how she looked, for a human, or anything but he wasn't liking the fact that she called him out on so many things! For the love of Eru, can't an elf catch a break!

Well, he wasn't going to let it get to him - much - but he sure was going to tell Armandeus about it when he saw him! Maybe if he stopped being so grandiose he could have had a better time. But! Ha-ha, she did say that he could go, so score one for him!

Even if he had to apologize to a tree.

"You, De'Ryanna, are so right. So right indeed that poor, poor tree." Clapping his hands together and looking to where the tree was besides that stone and cobble wall. "I would have done so after my entrance but you looked in need of aide, couldn't let that get by." Alyan wasn't giving up hope that his charm would do something positive for him if he kept trying.

Persistance! Persistance! Persistance!

But, anyway, she did say that he could go so he would slide on off to the side while looking to see what the other man, George, was doing. Looked like he knew what he was doing! A nod here and there at the skill and technique as he slide away. "I'll just be going over to there," to the tree, "and be on my way."

And off he went to offer some Elven prayer to the tree and look for his brother.

[Delivery]

Point of record, George was about as fond of Alyan as Alyan seemed to be of Miss Aybara.  But that did not matter at the moment.  What did matter was the task at hand.  George heard Miss Aybara ask him to remove the box without uprooting the bush.  It seemed like a simple enough request.  George looked at the roots of the bush for a moment and at what he could see of the box.  Some of the roots had encircled the box.  With a tilt of his head, George spoke.

"Yes ma'am, I do believe I can do that.  But I might need to dig out away from the bush a little farther so I can dig down to under the box.  That way I can lower it down, free of the roots.  Seems that'd be the best way."

And without waiting for her to respond George began doing just that.  He knew he would need to come out with the hole some so that he had room to put his hands down in the dirt enough to get under the box.  He looked up at the green haired elf when he was making his not-so-eloquent exit.  George hadn't remembered Miss Aybara giving a first name.  George just shrugged it off.  Obviously, the elf wasn't going to help George.  Perhaps he thought himself too good for such things? 

George wasn't too good for such things.  He liked working.  And this was just another task, more work, and George had a very goofy grin on his face for it.  He kept digging, and using his hands to clear dirt from the roots when he needed to. Once the hole was about twelve or thirteen inches away from the bush, he began to dig deeper.  He was exposing more and more of the roots, but at the same time, more and more of the box.

Once he had dug down deep enough that he could see the bottom of the box, he began to clear the dirt from under it.  He hoped he wasn't taking too long, and that Miss Aybara wasn't loosing her patience with him.  He looked up to see if she was still standing there watching.  He smiled and went back to the removal of the box.

Once the dirt was cleared away, he reached under the box.  Some of the roots had tangled under the box.  But George had removed enough dirt that he could follow those roots and untangle them from each other.  Once that was done, he carefully lowered the box free of the roots and slid it forward to bring it out of the hole.

With two hands he offered it up to her like it was a prize that she had just won.  He smiled at her and squinted for the sun being in his eyes at this angle. 

"Here's your box ma'am. "

If she took it from him, he would begin to replace the dirt that had been disturbed to make the hole.  If she did not take it, he would set it upon the ground beside himself and then go to putting the dirt back.  But once the dirt was all back in the hole, it looked as if there was not enough to fill the cavity correctly.  A mass had been removed from under the bush and dirt had taken it's place.  That dirt was no longer available to completely fill the hole.  But the ground always repaired itself.  He knew that there might be a dip there for some time, but it would eventually work itself back to normal.

"I think the bush could do with some water.  It's probly mighty thirsty."

In the mean time, George got himself up off the ground and began to dust his jeans off.  Not because the dirt bothered him, but because he knew he had other things to deal with still.  And it would not have worked for him to get those boxes dirty, or the wagon once he was ready to go back home.

Now, he agreed with Miss Aybara that the box and its contents were none of his business.  So if she was busy with the box, he would wait patiently and not even try to peek in or snoop.  He would just stand there with his hands behind his back and wait.  If she wanted to talk to him about his reason for being here, he would wait until she asked him about it or gave him instructions.  But there were a whole lot of boxes and they weren't small.  Which was why they were told not to take them to the front desk.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

There was something slightly 'off' , if one were to ask De'Ryanna, about that elf that said he was Armandeus' brother. For certain the family resemblance was there, only there was something that scratched at the back of her mind. Perhaps it was how he knew her name though it had not been given?

Maybe, being that they were brothers and Armandeus held a mental power, this brother was the same. It wasn't something she would overly concern herself with for the simple fact that the elf had excused himself from their presence and she didn't want to stand in the way of his pleas to a tree. Besides, George was digging up the box for her.

Quite satisfied that he gave her no talk back about her wanting the plant to remain in the ground, De'Ryanna crossed her arms atop her waist and watched, stepping to the side for a better view and to be out of the way. She had patience and demonstrated while she waited and, when he was done, her arms were outstretched for her hands to take it.

"Thank you, George." Dusting off the top of the box with one hand while it was cradled in the other and held against her waist. "As I stated earlier, now I have the time to deal with you. The plant will receive it's water, don't trouble yourself over it."

A turn on her heels as she began to the door which lead to the Inns interior. "You have deliveries?" For now that the first task was done, there was no need in dallying on the next.

[Delivery]

"Yes ma'am."

That being said of the plant getting it's water and for him to not worry about it.  George continued to dust himself off as he spoke, not quite being satisfied with the dusting until he was sure he wasn't going to make a mess.  He looked to the lovely Miss Aybara.  He cracked a smile that gave away that his job had benefits.  Dental care at the very least.  Were one to judge a book by it's apparently unkept cover, they might have thought him to have broken, yellowed and rotting teeth.  The teeth seemed out of place in his weathered face.

"About the boxes, ma'am.  There be thirty-two of 'em.  They be about one foot by two foot by one foot, giver take a few inches here and there."

When he spoke of the size of the boxes, he used his arms to show a rough estimate of the size of them.  Not that he thought she was stupid, he just wasn't too sure of his measurements.  He hadn't used a measuring tape or anything.  He motioned with a hand towards the direction of the stables.  Not that he was telling her to go that way if she didn't want to.  But the sweeping motion he had used was a polite way of telling someone that if they wanted to, they could go in that direction and lead the way.

"We be out in the stables with the boxes on our wagon.  Cause there's so many of 'em we was told to take them out there an not bring 'em in the front of the Inn."

He was following two steps behind her and two steps to her left as he spoke to her.  She was moving towards the door of the Inn.  So he figured she wasn't thinking of going to inspect the load, or at least not yet.  He didn't know if she would change her mind once she dealt with the box or not.  But he would walk with her until she gave him instructions or just sent him away.  Or told him to wait somewhere.  Sometimes people wanted him to wait outside a door while they went in and then would come back out to speak with him.  It never offended him, he knew that some people didn't want him to get their places dirty with the dust that could be on him.


While all of this had been going on in the garden, Thomas, the man who had come with George, was in the stables talking to a young boy with improper English.  The boy had been helping Thomas care for the horses.  They needed washed down and brushed out and fed and watered.  The two were taking care of it while sharing a bit of small talk.  The horses, a pair of black Clydesdale's, had been freed of their harnesses and taken away from the wagon for this.  If the young boy had been here some time back, he might have recognized them as the work horses of a certain former guest. 

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

Judging by the description of the boxes, and how many there were, that they were currently in the stables was likely a good idea and, if there was the space, is where they were going to stay until processed rightfully.

"Thirty-two boxes, you say?" Ryanna commented with a raise of her brow - that he couldn't see as she was walking with her back to him. "What in the Nine Moons was brought?" The door opened she gave a slight turn of her head to the side to regard him as she stepped through the threshold and into th Inns interior. Surely he was following or having a conversation would be quite difficult. He didn't seem the type to wait behind as now they were on to an issue that dealt with his reason for being at the Tel'Ranaemyn.

The silver box was still carried by her, under the arm, as diligent steps took her to the front desk. It was here that she would place the box, right alongside the ledger. She retained no fear that someone would come along and, spying it, take the box. They could but, now that she had placed it in the desk, it was surrounded by her wards like the other objects there, and she would know who reached for it.

De'Ryanna didn't remember any order slips passing over the desk, however, since they were here from Mister Costas, who had arrangements with Epiphany, she doubted that any paperwork was done at all. Though she could always be surprised.

She didn't stop once she had placed the silver box at the desk, no, instead she turned around - being mindful of where he was in relation to her - and started down the hall that lead to the lounge and the door to the stables which was at the end of it. "At least they are out of the way in there." She muttered under her breath before speaking clearly. "Are you aware of the fee cost?" If there was a price for deliver then Epiphany was certainly going to hear about the importance of paperwork.

A hand to the door that lead to the Stables, she pushed it open, finding Oliver - the boy stablehand - conversing with the other man and tending to the horses. It was due to the troupe leaving that Oliver had been established to work in the stables, so he wouldn't know the men from any previous ventures.

"George says that there are boxes to be delivered" Four wooden steps lead from the door to the stable floor and she was currently descending them.

[Delivery]

George continued to follow her to the door.  And she seemed a little shocked by the number of boxes.  It was true that he didn't see her brow raise, but her voice held a hint of an undertone.

"Aye."

Was said in response to her questioning the number of boxes.  But he didn't have a chance to say anything more because she was onto her next question. And given she had asked a question before she looked at him, he took the look to mean that he was to follow her inside. Now considering who George was employed by, and who his supervisor was, this next thing should have come as no surprise to Miss Aybara.  George fished a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket and began to read it.

"Fifteen boxes of clothing, all new or gently used.  Sorted according to size and gender.  Sizes range from premature infant to some adult sizes.  Five boxes of shoes, all new. Arranged according to size and gender. Five boxes of books all approved of by Doc Peters. (He was the head Veterinarian for the Keep, and he was Catholic.) Five boxes of toys, again all approved by Doc Peters.  A box of computer parts and software (for the computers that had been given for Christmas one year). And a box of bibles and hymnals and crucifixes and other holy objects supplied by the Catholic community within the Keep.  It says so that the church has extra's on hand. He gave us this in case you needed it and so we could make sure that it all was here when we got here."

Most people were unaware, and would probably be shocked to learn, that there was an entire community of Catholics that lived within the Keep.  But they were there.  Twelve families in total, three of which had children old enough to have moved into apartments of their own.  But they had apartments in the building behind six of the houses that six of the twelve families lived in.  No one bothered them about their religion and they paid the same respects to others.

George paid no mind to where she put the box because it was none of his business.  He simply continued to follow her as they spoke.  She had not told him to do otherwise.  And when she turned around to go to the other room, he was still just behind her and just to the side of her. She muttered something under her breath and he didn't quite hear her, so he asked.

"Pardon?"

But she had moved on in the conversation, so George let it drop.  She was asking about a fee.  He had no idea that there would be a fee to deliver the boxes.  They had been a gift. 

"A fee cost ma'am?  I didn't know there was one, no.  But I got's some money iffin ya need us to pay for storin the boxes 'til Miss Epiphany can take em.  I don't mind payin it.  Manny, er Mr. Costas would pay me back.  But he didn't think there was gunna be no fee or papers or nothing cause these is just gifts for the orphans at Miss Epiphany's church orphanage.  We had a big clean up project after the Goddess had her *ahem* 'accident'."

George hadn't meant to clear his throat before he had said the word accident, but it was too late now. He didn't know if she knew anything about what had gone on out at the Keep.  And unless she cared to ask, he wasn't going to tell.  He didn't want to be in trouble for telling the wrong person the wrong thing.  Even though he didn't know the whole story to begin with, what he did know was enough to fill in the right person.  So he figured that if she asked, and she was on Manny's list of people he could trust with things, than she could know what he knew.

When they reached the door that lead out to the stables, even though George didn't know that until she opened it, he moved to reach around her and open it for her.  But she had her hand on the door before he could reach it.  So he let her open it and go out first.  He followed her out the door and down the steps, making sure the door closed behind him. Thomas looked from the horses and Oliver to the woman who had spoke.  He smiled at her gently and  then replied to her.

"Yes ma'am.  Would you be Miss Epiphany or Miss Aybara?"

Thomas was a little more educated that George, and so he said her name they way he thought it was, which happened to be the right way.  And with his slightly more well spoken tongue, he continued to address her, after she answered his question.  If she answered his question of course.

"The boxes are there on the wagon.  George can take you to them if you wish to inspect them.  We are almost done here.  If the wagon and horses are needed to transport them to Saint Emiliana's (that was the name of the church, right?) we are to leave them for that purpose and someone would be along to collect them at a later date.  We can find another way home.  And he did give me some coin to pay for the care of the horses if they needed to stay."

Manny had already made arraignments to get them another ride home if they needed it. And he didn't think that the carriage that had been given to the Inn was big enough to transport this many boxes.  Plus, the weight of them would have been a bit of a burden on the horses that were given to pull said carriage.  Wasn't it just like Manny to think of everything? Well, almost everything, there was still the looming question of the fee cost that she had spoken of.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

De'Ryanna probably should have waited and let George get the door for her, but she wasn't thinking about the chivalrous code of men but rather getting to where she needed to go. However, since she saw that he was going to open the door, when she was going to leave the stable he could be assured that she would wait by the door until he - or the other man - opened it.

"The fee was meant in case they were ordered by us," explaining to ease up his confusion about the fee. "However, as these items are donated, there is none, unless you are wanting a donation in return." And that would be all that this girl would say on the matter. She knew who the 'Goddess' was that he had referred to and, after the incident of long ago with the woman declaring herself as a member of De'Ryanna's family, she had no desire to ask of the 'accident'.

As for the question of who she was: "If I were Epiphany you would hardly have to question it at all. Thank you, Oliver," as she turned her attention to the 10-year-old who was trying to appear busy with the horses. "Make sure at the horses are cared for and rested down, this gentleman here is loaning them to us for purposes of the delivery." Thomas had said that they could use the horses if needed and she intended to take him up on the offer.

Looking back at Thomas she gave a polite nod. "Thank you for the use of your animals. The Church of Saint Emiliani will be grateful for your donation." As it was a church she would think it rather odd if they turned their head in disgust over donations such as those.

"Feel free to take a respite at the bar area or the lounge, whichever you prefer," as she exchanged glances between the men. Ryanna did not know how far the men had traveled, so she made another offer. "And, if your transportation will not arrive until tomorrow, accommodations can be provided.

Saying nothing about a boarding fee for the horses. as far as she was concerned, once they were ready, and she got someone - likely Epiphany - to take the goods, the horses would be gone..

[Delivery]

George had moved to the bottom of the steps, but not much further, as he had been waiting to see if she wanted to inspect their delivery.  He remained silent as Thomas interacted with Miss Aybara.  Thomas was all smiles for the young lady, she looked to be about twenty years younger than Thomas himself.  But these were not the creepy 'why is that old man looking at me like that?' type of smiles.  His lips just seemed to curve up at the corners naturally.

When Miss Aybara explained that the fee she spoke of was in case of this being an order George opened his mouth as if to say 'ahh' and nodded slowly to show he understood.  But no words were spoken as she moved on in the conversation.  He waited until she was done with her explanation before he chose to respond.

"Oh, no.  No ma'am, no donation in return.  Thank you."

He had never heard someone offer a donation in return before.  He thought that was rather polite.  But then again, she might have just been clarifying things.  George chose to go with polite as Miss Aybara had not been anything but polite towards him. Thomas seemed to be a very cheerful man, and why shouldn't he be?  His life was a good one.  And his voice reflected his cheerful nature as he spoke.

"Ahh, yes, Miss Aybara then.  I certainly hope that these goods can be helpful to the church.  And you are quite welcome for the use of the animals and the wagon."

He was glad to hear that they had done something good.  At least that was what Miss Aybara implied. 

"I do believe we will take you up on your offer of your facilities ma'am.  Perhaps a drink and some supper?  Our transport will not arrive for a few hours.  They wanted to give us time to unload if we needed to."

An offer was made, so it was accepted.  And it seemed as though Miss Aybara felt no need to inspect the load.  The pair of men took that to mean that she either was satisfied that it was all there, or was going to let Miss Epiphany sort it all out later.  Either way, they felt they had done their job well.  George moved back up the steps so as to open the door for her when she was ready to go back inside.  Though, if she changed her mind and wanted to inspect the load, he would move quickly to assist her.

Oliver had given a quick nod when he was told to take care of the horses so they would be ready to move the load to the church.  Other than that he continued to look busy as he listened to the conversation.  He was a ten year old boy after all, what ten year old boy wasn't nosy when it came to adult conversations?

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

Everything seemed to be in place and in order. The donations were delivered safely as with the two men who arrived with it. Arrangements had been made on the care of it and how the men were going to spend their time until transport arrived.   

Things were in order and, therefore, Ryanna started back to the steps she had decended only moments before, speaking over her shoulder as she did.  "When you arrive at the Bar, someone should be there to assist you.  If not you may want to try knocking on the bar if you require service or cannot manage a simple drink from what's behind the bar on the shelves." Clearly she did not know that they use to stay and work here at the Inn. Or at least, Thomas.

She would consider the two of them being there as her guest, hence the reason for allowing them to make their own bar drinks if no one else was there. 

What a pleasure it was to see that George was still at the door, even had to ready for her so she wouldn't have to wait or ask, or even do it herself. "Take to the inside when you are ready, George and Thomas." Their names added as almost an afterthought as she prepared to step through. "I will be around if there is need of me. Thank you again, George, for your earlier cooperation." 

Now, she had a silver box to get to. And that is what she planned on doing after stepping through the door. 

[Delivery]

George had held the door for her to re-enter the Inn.  And then he moved to help Oliver and Thomas with the horses.  Once they were done they cleaned up and went inside.  They went to the bar and got some drinks and something to eat.  Then they went to the Lounge where they watched some television until their ride came for them.  From there, they simply returned home, leaving the horses, the wagon, and the load at the Inn for someone else to deal with.  Manny figured that Epiphany would let him know when she was no longer in need of the horses and the wagon.  Even if she used them for something else after she was done with the load for the church.

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