From alt.pub.dragons-inn Fri Aug 19 07:45:20 1994 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:7538 Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!src.dec.com!crl.dec.com!jac.zko.dec.com!leggy.zk3.dec.com!orb!not-for-mail From: hutch@ibeam.jf.intel.com (Steve Hutchison) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [PARTY][BDAY] Hangover Morning Date: 18 Aug 1994 04:22:43 -0000 Organization: Duchy of Wabesylvan Obspauk Lines: 338 Sender: news@Orb.Nashua.NH.US Message-ID: X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL11] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit [ADMIN] Every good thing comes to an end. In this case, about two months later than it should have. Anyway. Characters cameo here are all used by permission. This post is copyrighted 1994 by Penny and Steve Hutchison and by the Dreamer. Permission granted to archive and distribute by the usual Usenet channels. All other rights reserved. This is the end of Luthor's Party for this year. If you have any post in progress, then feel free to clear it past Dreamer and then post, but it's the last of Penny's and my Party posts for at least a few months. ===== Every Party Must Die Out Sometime The last Toast had been drunk, and the sun obeyed Luthor's invocation of the Light: rising to make a new day. The morning shadows made a maze of the roads twisting through the Elven Quarter. Through the streets walked a caravan of tired Party-goers, moving quietly in deference to the hangovers around them. Lex picked up Little Rat, who was beginning to fall asleep walking. He smiled and waved quietly to A'ree, who walked over. He pointed to the sleeping girl, and A'ree saw the suspicious lump under her jacket. She looked questioningly at him and he shifted so that the Rat's bundle of extra clothes showed. The green top of a pineapple was poking out from her spare shirt. The warrior maid blinked and raised an inquiring eyebrow. Lex just grinned at her and shifted Rat to a more comfortable position. As they crossed into the Docks neigborhood, the tired revellers went their own ways, and the group thinned. 'Raelf, carrying a short board, ar'Elya in the flower-printed sarong, Lady Ale and two of the dancers from her House, all led in front. The warrior H'ro and his twin sister A'ree flanked Lex on either side, with Kev hanging onto H'ro's broad back like a monkey. Errol faded into the shadowed streets with a knowing smile, following Kadrys and his dancing partner Kardia Xvaramene, as they made their way through the sunless alleys towards the Dragon's Inn. And Taryn, youngest of the Sisters of the White Order, yawned mightily, following Sister El'n and her Acolyte who were walking towards the Women's Refuge Hostelry. A'ree followed immediately behind them, remembering the problems with disappearing people and Rameshander slavers who had taken advantage of the revellers last year. H'ro watched his twin stride down the narrow street, until she turned the corner. He smiled grimly -- someone was following her, the poor sot. By the ready set of her hands near the pommel of her sword, the fellow was in for a world of pain. "Kev," H'ro said quietly, "Where's 'Raf?" "He stayed ta help da band take dere stuff back tru da short-cut," Kev said around a yawn. "He din't let me erase da gate to da beach neither." "Gonna use it himself then," the warrior grunted, shifting the boy higher onto his back. "Hey, stop yawning, yer makin' me tired," he said. "Sorry," Kev said. "I think I played too hard." "Too much Catamount Porter, you mean," the warrior retorted. Kev grinned. ar'Elya stretched out a hand, and 'Raelf grasped it and gave her a brief squeeze. Their eyes met at the same moment, and with a small sigh she moved closer to him, and their arms entwined. "What a party. Even better than last year's." 'Raelf said. ar'Elya returned 'Raelf's squeeze. "And what an announcement. So many changes this past year." Their immediate memories ran together where their hands touched, and the world seemed to step backwards for a moment... ...Luthor had finally gotten all the partygoers in one area, and made sure that everyone got a glass of the fine elvenwine he saved for such occasions. Erik had a tight hold on Lex and was almost vibrating in place, in his eagerness to make his announcement. The toasts had gone on, seemingly forever, but finally it was Erik's turn. "I had a speech ready but I've forgotten it," Erik said, almost shy in the faint predawn light. "To life, together, as long as it lasts," and he smiled and flushed crimson. "What he's trying to say," Lex smiled, "is that we'd like you to be here next year to celebrate as Erik joins his life with mine. This is the customary year of grace, so that we can be certain that it is the right path for us." There were some murmurs in the crowd, but Luthor stepped up to both of them suddenly, embracing them fiercely. His face shone, faint tracks on the cheeks revealing his tears of joy. "Welcome, thrice welcome, to my family," Luthor said. "As Erik is my father in the Art of the Shadows, and my brother in arms, and my son in the eyes of the Elven Folk of the Realm, you become my uncle and my brother and my son. My joy is thus complete," and his voice was almost choked with his emotion. "The rings," a silvery voice whispered in Erik's ear. "Remember?" Erik blushed invisibly in the dusky light. "Lex, this is part of my people's ceremony for betrothal." He pulled two rings from his GREY cloak, the twin interlinked azure bands that ar'Elya had given him that afternoon. "Hold on to that one," he prompted, and as Lex took it, he held the other one. "As these rings are linked, so will our lives be joined together, one year from today, if our hearts remain entwined." The rings began to glow faintly, then brighter. A dragonet the color of the sky at midday peeked around Lex's shoulder and gave a peculiarly thoughtful chirp, then fluttered around to sniff the ring that the big man held. As its nose touched, it breathed a tiny flame, and the ring in Lex's hand changed in a flow of color, from deep azure crystal to a seamless circle of gold and silver, woven together in a complex pattern. Lex smiled gently. "In a year," he said, so that only those closest could hear, "one ring woven of three strands." ..... A bird sang, ordering all other birds away from its nest and its territory, the echo of its song bringing them back to the present. "Thanks, babe," 'Raelf said, kissing ar'Elya on the cheek to the amusement of a passing trio of sailors. "For what?" she said, laughing. "For sharing memories?" "No, for the rings." They turned up the pathway leading up the cliff. The lighthouse looked less ugly in the early morning. The gold of the sun made it look less like bird droppings and more like an outcropping of weathered rock. The bright red door opened as they approached up the hill, and 'Raf stepped out, waving with both hands and his lion's tail. He leaned over to kiss ar'Elya as she came up. "Band's all put away, I've got a light breakfast set, and the gate's all closed to the beach. Kev, you want to come help me clean up the beach? I thought of a new game," the satyrlion said, and Kev jumped up and sprinted through the door into the lighthouse, "Race ya," trailing behind him. 'Raf showed his fangs in a grin and sank without a trace into the ground. "If he scares the Little Rat doing that," 'Raelf said, "I'm going to tie a knot in that tail." ar'Elya smiled and nodded energetically. "We're here, little one," Lex said gently, as they walked into the garden patio inside the Lighthouse wall. "Huh?" Little Rat rubbed her eyes, unconsciously hiding the bundle in her other arm behind her body. An insistent neigh came from the far side of the garden, around the curve of the lighthouse. "Iramus," the Rat said. "He mus' be hungry. Kin I feed him den eat my breakfiss?" "Of course, dear. That's very thoughtful of you," she said. Little Rat didn't wait to hear the rest of her comment, running around to the small stable. "Heya, Iramus," the Rat said eagerly. The pony raised his head at her approach and whickered a greeting. "Dat wuz da bestes' pardy. Dey had lots a food, an' dere wuz dis big tree dat da goldy elf-man lives inside a," She carefully put her bundle down by the door. "Tsk, you drunk up alla yer water," she scolded, and went to the pump and filled the pony's small trough. Iramus snorted as he sucked the cold water in the usual messy horse fashion. "Yeah, I is thirsty too," she said, and pumped a dipper of water for herself. "Da band what 'Raf plays wit' wuz dere, an' dey had some a dem Gipsy folks dere too, an' dey wuz singin' and playin' on dese big boxes what got strings, I don' remember what dey calls 'em. An' Kev an me snuck some wine at da toast, when dey woke us up so da goldy elf-man kin make da sun come up? I din't know dat he did such a import'n job. Cause it ud' be all dark if he din't do it." She pulled the curry-comb down off the wall as she spoke, and removing the pony's blanket, she began to efficiently run the comb across him, pulling off shed hair and brushing away dirt. "An," she said when she finished, "dere wuz all dis food, but nobody tried ta steal it, cause it wuz free, dey just took it, an dere wuzn't no white worms or nothin' in da meat, 'cept dere wuz dis yucky stuff dat 'Raelf made dat I betcha not even da white worms 'd eat it. And," she said, telling the pony a great confidence, "I even snuck ya a present but I ain't gonna show ya yet 'cause I got ta muck out an' give ya new straw." She took down the pitchfork and proceeded with that unpleasant task, loading the spoiled straw into the little wheelbarrow that she had found on the junk-heap and fixed up. She washed her hands off with the last of the water from her dipper, and put a feedbag with a cup of oats and alfalfa pellets on her pony's face. A quick trip to the compost heap (it was just around the back of the stable) and the Little Rat returned to her pony. He had finished his feedbag already. "You is da greedy one taday," she said. Iramus blinked at her innocently. "An' I guv you a extra apple afore we lef' yesterday." She yawned forcefully. "Ya know da best part a da pardy," she said. "Da best part wuz dat all a' dese people wuz dere, from all differn' kinds a gangs, an' dey all din't fight, an' dey din't try ta tromp on da littler ones or keep dem from havin' any of da food, an' dey din't even cut on each other. Ok, so don' believe me, it's true. Dey did kinda almos' fight, like when we did da game wit' da net an' da yellow ball. An' nobody throwed rocks or any a dat kind a stuff. Da worstest anyone did wuz ta throw water on each other, and dat kind a felt good cause it wuz so hot. Wuz ya hot up here?" She broke fresh straw off the end of the hay bale, and scattered it around the floor of the stall. Iramus snorted and shook his head from side to side. "Dat's good. I hope dat you wuzn't scared of da fireworks." The pony curled a lip derisively and whinnied. "OK, I is sorry, but I din't know if you knowed what dey wuz." She hugged him apologetically, and he gently mouthed her hand, looking for a sugar cube. "I ain't got none a dat stuff, but I did brung ya a present like I told ja," she said. Iramus snorted and tossed his head impatiently. "OK, but first you gots ta tell me what you think a da cool thing I thunk about da gangs at da party." Iramus nodded his head vigorously, and pressed his lips into her face. She pulled back, laughing, before he could lick her with that tongue. A'ree said he liked the taste of salt on her skin from when she was sweating, but Rat thought he was just doing it to bug her, like when he pretended to eat her hair. "OK. You izza real pest," she grinned. She opened the bundle and pulled out a whole, intact, pineapple, carefully stolen from the table on the beach during the luau and hidden through the party. "Dis is da present. It's a pie apple, an' I know dat you likes apples, an' I know dat you likes pie, an' dis is both." She proudly held the fruit up for him to sniff. He nosed at the green spiky leaves first, and shook his head as they stuck his sensitive nostrils. "No silly, ya gots ta eat da other part," the Rat said helpfully. She turned the pineapple around, and Iramus nosed it again, but shook his head violently. Little Rat looked at it, and ran a hand across the surface. It felt tough, like old leather. "What's the matter, little warrior?" A'ree said from the doorway. Little Rat looked up, surprised. She hadn't heard her teacher's approach. She knew better than to hide the pineapple from her. "I brung a present for Iramus but he don't want it," she said looking crestfallen. "It gots too many spikes." "Well," A'ree smiled. "You need to cut off the spikes, then. This is what you'd do if you were travelling in the desert, remember? Cut the spines away from the cactus, and the husk, and the pulp has plenty of water." Little Rat nodded. "An first ya gots ta try just a taste so dat ya don't feed bad plants dat would make da pony sick." "Right." A'ree held out a black pocketknife, and Little Rat took it reverently. "Remember, cut away from your body." The runes on the blade of the pocketknife glowed faintly blue as Little Rat cut the husk off the "pie apple", saving it in her wheelbarrow for the compost heap. "Dis tastes good," Little Rat said, cutting off a little piece of the pineapple and gently tasting it. She cut off a larger bit and held it on her flat hand, for Iramus to try. He lipped it off her hand, and bit, chewed once or twice, and swallowed. A second helping disappeared very quickly. "Don't expect all horses to like pineapple," A'ree said, with a faint tinge of disgust in her voice. "Ponies will eat almost anything, it seems, but horses are more finicky." Iramus snorted. Three more handfuls and the fruit was gone. He nosed hopefully among the peelings in the compost barrow but there wasn't any hiding there. Little Rat pumped the trough full of water again, and started for the garden again. "Wait, I've got something to show you," A'ree said. "Did you know you can grow a new plant from that top crown?" Little Rat's eyes grew big. "Neet! Show me how?" "All right, but then you have to have breakfast, OK?" The girl nodded, and picked up the pineapple crown and followed the tall woman out into the garden. A'ree stopped in front of a wall golden from the morning sunlight. "We'll plant it here. You see, it needs lots of water to make roots, and warmth and shelter. Then after the roots set, you'll need to watch it carefully, and not water it too often." Little Rat dropped to her knees and dug a shallow hole using the spade A'ree had handed her. After she was done, she looked up at her teacher. "Gosh, ya know 'most as much as Reelya 'bout plants an' stuff, huh?" A'ree smiled and her eyes lightened. "Thanks. Like to think I know a few things more than fighting. Never know when it'll come in handy. And now," she helped the weary child to her feet, "_breakfast_, or ar'Elya will have my hide!" As they made their way to the kitchen the girl gave a tired chuckle and muttered, "Like ta see dat!"