The Mint Dam
The dam is an impressive structure that almost looks out of place when compared to the relatively backwater town of Stonebarrow. It's existed for generations and is currently under management through a joint effort of the Akwavi and Kadie clans (notably the Wingnuts). It spans a good sixty feet and is composed of earth and timber. The top is lined with three equally spaced waterwheels. One of the wheels powers the various Wingnut workshops that reside near the base of the dam. Another wheel powers the various mills that produce paper and other such items requiring milling, such as flour. The third wheel is for general use and powers many various places in the nearby town that require mechanical power. A menagerie of gearing, drive axles, and catwalks also line the top of the dam, interconnecting the wheels and providing service access to them.

It's early afternoon, Olivia has recovered from the various hectic days and peculiar dates. She ran into Zahnrad's mother in town and got permission to bring Natasha out to the dam, along with whomever wishes to escort her. So, here Olivia stands. Beside her is a black Khatta, hidden beneath veils. On her other side stands Djivan, who she's unfortunately had to fend off from pinching her butt while they were walking to the dam. Natasha simply smiled and let out a soft chuckle during the antics of the two.

Olivia hisses to Djivan under her breath, "Hey, stop it! This isn't the time! You'll break Madame Natasha's concentration or something!" She swats at his straying hand one more time before asking the Khatta politely, "Well, here's the dam you thought might be in your vision. Is there some spot in particular that you want me to take you to?"

Djivan just smiles sweetly. "Vho, me? I be innocen'," he remarks and shows his hands. "Mus' be de infamous butt-pinchin' gnomes, I tell vou." Natasha simply turns her head and gives Djivan a look. The Skreek slinks down. Natasha considers, then shakes her head. "Not yet, Miss Weaver," she says, then crouches down and starts drawing a pattern on the ground.

Olivia quirks an eyebrow at Djivan, silently mouthing, Butt-pinching gnomes? Then she backs up a bit to give Natasha space but watches what she does intently.

Djivan just waggles his eyebrows at her and makes pinching motions with his fingers.

Natasha is busily drawing out an intricate pattern in the soil. The diagram is nothing like Olivia has ever seen before, though some of the symbols look vaguely like the standard language. It takes her several minutes to complete the diagram. She then sits in the center of it and folds her hands in her lap.

Olivia rolls her eyes heavenward at the Skreek's weirdness. Watching Natasha sit for a few moments, she finally asks, "Um… is there anything I can get for you while you meditate?"

The Khatta doesn't answer. Djivan taps Olivia's shoulder, then shakes his head at her as if to indicate to not interrupt. The Skreek then steps away. Far away. He motions for Olivia to join him.

Olivia ahas and moves back to join Djivan. "Does this part of the process take long?" she asks very quietly in his ear.

"Don' know. She take several days, sometimes," Djivan whispers to her.

The Khatta can be heard muttering something, but exactly what can't be made out. One thing's certain, it's not Sylvanian.

Olivia gulps. "Days?" she says as loudly as she dares. "Er… I think I'll sit down, too. Just in case." So saying, she makes herself comfortable on the ground.

For the briefest moment, Olivia could swear that the pattern on the ground has taken on a faint blue glow … and seems to almost be hovering off the ground. Then the sunlight breaks through some clouds, illuminating the Khatta, and all but wiping out any sort of glow she might have been able to see.

Olivia blinks a little at this. "Interesting," she murmurs to herself. "Would have liked to see more… but then, what do I know of magicks, anyway? Would I even know what I was seeing?"

Djivan, meanwhile, is busying himself with making shadow puppets in one of the rays of sunlight.

Abruptly, Natasha stands. She drags her foot around in a circle, completely obliterating what she had drawn. "Take me up to the walkway, please," she says quietly. At that moment, the Khatta's peculiar accent seems to have shifted. "If vou don' mind," she adds, accent returning.

Olivia scrambles to her feet, too. "No, I don't mind. If it helps to clarify your vision, then it's all worth it." Poking the Skreek to get his attention, she motions for them both to follow her as she leads the way up.

Djivan promptly pokes back! Then realizes that it's not a game and it's time to move. So, he sticks his hands into his pocket and whistles.

Natasha follows along quietly as Olivia leads them up the dam walkways. Her hands trail along the railing lightly, fingertips just brushing the rope. "Others have died here," she comments quietly.

Olivia sighs and takes one of the Skreek's hands to keep it occupied while they walk (and so that it won't be pinching her rear end). At Natasha's comment, she nods. "I'm sure. From what I've been told, it can get pretty dangerous out here when the weather is bad."

"He vas young," Natasha comments as she walks out onto the walkways. About halfway down the ramp she stops and closes her eyes. Djivan mock-glares at Olivia, then peers over the edge and into the water.

Back up the way they came, Gunther is walking towards the dam. Beside him is Amy. Gunther is carrying his spear; Amy is carrying her staff. About where Natasha had sat, Gunther abruptly stops and looks at the ground.

"I want you to wear these padded mittens, Gunther," Amelia tells the younger Kadie, holding out a pair of thick leather mittens. "Now what's wrong?" she asks as the boy stops.

Olivia groans softly as she sees who it is in the distance. "Oh great, just who we all need," she mutters upon spotting Gunther. To Natasha and Djivan she says, "We may have company soon. Amelia Blacktail and Gunther Kettenrad." At the Skreek's blank stare, she clarifies, "You know, the Kadie who was with me when I first came to your camp?"

"Invaders," Gunther mutters. He sniffs the air, then looks around quickly. Spotting someone up on the dam, he takes off in a sprint towards it!

Djivan comments, "Oh, de one who ran screamin'." Natasha, meanwhile, makes no outward sign that she heard anything at all.

"Wait!" Amy yells after Gunther, then runs after him desperately.

Gunther is a fast little bugger! Before long, he's sprinting up the walkway, brandishing his spear and growling. Djivan looks at the charging squirrel, then Amy, then to Olivia. "Vell, dis won' go well," he deadpans.

Very quickly in an undertone to Djivan, Olivia says, "Just a warning: I have no idea how Gunther is going to react to you now. From what I understand, he had sort of a, er, crush on me. Then you came along. I'm not sure if he's foolish enough to try something out of jealousy, but… just in case."

"Gunther, STOP!" Amy yells as she trails behind. "OR ELSE!"

Djivan rubs the bridge of his muzzle. "Hav' I mentioned recently dis is a weird town?" he asks. His head then jerks around towards the yelling. It's at this point everything seems to drag out, seconds taking minutes… Gunther comes skidding to a halt on the upper platform, his fur puffed out and gripping his spear. He does seem to have at least listened … but it was too late. The once silent Natasha suddenly pulls away from the railing and spins. The veils that once obscured her form blow and flow away from her body. Her eyes are narrowed, her lips pulled away from her teeth in a snarl. It's at that moment Natasha doesn't look weak at all. Her hand comes up and she starts chanting, blue energy crackling and arcing all along her fingers. Her hand levels on Gunther.

Racing up the walkway, Amelia dives for Gunther to try and pin him to the ground… she hasn't even noticed Natasha's spell-casting yet.

Olivia shrieks, "GUNTHER, DUCK!" Then with little apparent concern for her own safety, Olivia grabs hold of the back of Natasha's dress and tugs desperately at it, trying to make her drop her aim on Gunther. "Please stop, he's only a kid!" she yelps.

As Gunther goes down under Amelia, and Olivia grabs her dress, realization strikes Natasha on who she is about to hit. She utters something in a fluid language that none of those present have ever heard before and sweeps her hand up quickly. A bright blue ball of energy erupts from her hand, sailing right over Amelia! Olivia, Gunther, and Amelia can all feel when it passes by, the energy of it making their fur stand on end. It shrieks off into the woods and a moment later there's a loud boom as it apparently hits something. The look on Natasha's face is one of horror. She staggers backwards and looks like she's about to fall.

Djivan, though all this, is just standing there, blinking stupidly. "Vha happen?" he asks, looking lost and well, a bit frightened, too.

"What's going on here," Amelia asks in a forced-calm voice, as she gets up while clutching Gunther against her chest.

Gunther is quivering. The Kadie looks quite honestly terrified and grabbing at Amelia.

Amy rubs the back of Gunther's neck to try and calm him down, and whispers to him, "See? This is why you shouldn't charge in waving your spear."

Olivia now spreads her arms wide and tries to steady the Khatta… well, as much as a small, shaken Skeek can do, anyway. "I was t-taking Madame N-natasha on a tour of the dam," she stammers. "I had Mrs. Kettenrad's permission! It's not l-like we were s-sneaking around!"

The Khatta woman is heavier than she looks at it takes a bit of work for Olivia to steady her. "What were you thinking, child?!" she snaps, her accent once again gone. "I could have seriously hurt, if not killed, you." She glares at both Amelia and Gunther. But the glare is short lived, once she sees how utterly frightened Gunther is. Her hand pats Olivia's shoulder and she says in a calmer voice, "I'm fine, Miss Veaver. Jus' startled."

Nodding, Amelia says, "Well, I can see why Dame Natasha would be here, Olivia, but what about this guy?" She nods towards Djivan as best she can with Gunther's face in her neck. "He's the one who kept peeking at me while Lili was giving me dance lessons."

"I peek at everyone vho dances," Djivan notes, then moves other to Olivia. "I'm both Madame Natasha's escort today, an I vanted to see Olivia."

With a sigh, Amy says, "Well, if you're going to be on the walkway, you should have someone like Zahn with you. It's dangerous up here."

"I … I," Gunther stammers and he grabs onto his tail.

Olivia lets go of Natasha now that she's regained her footing. "Um… I guess you haven't been formally introduced, then. Amy, this is Djivan - your Peeping Tom. We've been seeing rather a lot of each other lately, so it seemed only natural to ask him along." She blushes a little at the explanation but glares at the Skreek as she does so.

"Gunther's sorry, Dame Natasha," Amy says for the stammering Kadie, whether he was trying to say it or not. She retrieves her staff and Gunther's spear now that the boy's death grip has transferred to his own tail. She just looks at Olivia and flashes a smirk, then nods to Djivan. "Oh, right. You're Olivia's boyfriend," Amy notes, unable to resist teasing the Skeek.

Natasha sighs softly and heads toward Amelia and the other Kadie. "Sorry. He interrupted my meditation at a bad poin'. I had felt a specter of deat' here. Dat spell I used is intended to obliterate de undead. But, at dat intensity, it vould hav' probably hurt both of vou too. I alway' keep a spell at ready for defens'," she explains then kneels down. Gunther shrinks away from the Khatta.

Djivan laughs and nods. "Dat's righ' I am. She quite de snogger, too," he counters and then grins right at Olivia, then marches over and wraps his arm around her.

Putting a hand on Gunther's shoulder to try and calm him, Amy glances up to watch Olivia's reaction to the Skreek's claims.

Olivia rubs her temples for a moment. "He's really modest, too," she deadpans, but looks at the Skreek with a sort of fond exasperation.

Djivan gives Olivia the most smug grin she may have ever seen.

Natasha extends her hand to Gunther and asks in a soft voice, "Forgive me. I vas in de wrong, child. Dis be vour home, and vour desire to defend it be admirable." Gunther just stares at her for a minute, then nods slightly, not saying anything. "An, vou shoul' listen to vour friend here," she says, then nods up toward Amelia. "Bravery is admirable, but vou need tactics too. Don' always charge in. If I vere a real enemy, vou vould be dead."

"And he has all of his own teeth too," Amy notes, in order to say something nice about Djivan.

Olivia spins Djivan around to face Gunther. "Here, keep an eye on the hero for a minute," she says, then motions Amy aside. Pitched so that only she can hear, she murmurs into the Kadie girl's ear, "Natasha wanted to visit the possible site of the vision she had, so I offered to show her around. It may help to clarify certain details. She also tells me you're familiar with it."

Amy nods to Olivia. "That's why I wasn't too surprised to see her here. I've moved in to keep an eye on things, since I'm pretty sure I need to be here for the vision to make sense."

Gunther has at least stopped shaking and nods to the Khatta. "Sorry, Ma'am," he says softly and gets up. He moves to stand behind Amy now. Therefore, Djivan leans to the side to stare around Amy at Gunther. The fringe benefit is, he gets to see Amy's butt, too. Not that he would look. Nope, not him.

Olivia ahs quietly and grins. "So that's why the sudden rushing into things with Zahn! I wondered about that." Then she sobers and adds, "Djivan was the one who first gave me some of the details about this, so I worked up the nerve to ask Natasha about it myself. At the time, I didn't know you'd been told. I know it seems like I'm butting in but… well, I wanted to do what I could to help."

"Skeeks are supposed to be nosy," Amy whispers to Olivia. "Why do you think they run the town?"

"What the bloody Dagh's name is going on here!?" comes a very loud, and very angry voice, up the walkway. While the others were chatting, Zahnrad has come out of the woods. And probably for the first time any of them has ever seen, he's angry. "I want answers, now. Somebody just destroyed part of the drive shaft to my shop."

"Was it undead?" Amy asks Zahn.

Olivia looks fleetingly embarrassed at Amy's observation but the expression fades as she sees Zahn come marching out of the woods. "Whoo boy, this is going to be fun to explain!" she gulps.

Zahnrad glares at Amy. "I'm not in the mood for jokes," he says flatly. "Do you know how long that will take to fix? How much time that will cost me from doing any real work?" He draws in a slow breath, then says very slowly, and very harshly, "I … want … answers."

"It's my fault," Amelia says. "I let Gunther get away from me and he startled Dame Natasha here at a very bad moment."

Olivia offers in a very small voice, "We're sorry, Zahn. And it is not all Amy's fault! There was a misunderstanding here that caused an accident. Gunther startled Madame Natasha and she almost cast a spell on him by defensive instinct. I tried to take her aim off Gunther and the spell… well, it went into your shop, I guess."

"No, it wasn't Amy's fault, it was my fault," comes Gunther's voice from behind Amelia. "If you blame anyone, blame me. I screwed up big this time, Zahn."

Djivan, meanwhile, is just listening to all this and feeling like a spare wheel in the crowd. Natasha stands and says, "My apologies, Mr. Kettenrad, for the damage to vour shop. It is as they say, a result of a defensive spell I carry. It vas an accident. Vour bother meant well." She offers her hand to him.

Zahnrad sighs and says, "All right." He leans and glances at Gunther, noting, "I won't tell mom, but you have to help me fix the drive, all right? I hope you've finally learned something." Gunther nods meekly.

Amy watches closely to see how Natasha reacts if Zahn takes her hand.

Zahnrad then reaches over and takes Natasha's hand firmly. "No real harm done to anyone, at least," he admits, looking calmer. "Just more work to repair the mess, is all."

Natasha's gaze transfixes on Zahn when he takes her hand. Her expression is … well, intense. A moment later, she releases his hand and nods. "Ah, yes, vell. Thank vou for bein' understanding. I am truly sorry about vour vorkshop," she says, sounding a bit distracted.

Zahnrad shrugs and motions to Gunther. "Come on, you, we have work to do. I want the shop back working before nightfall," he says. Gunther slinks out from behind Amelia and joins Zahn.

Olivia follows Amelia's gaze to Natasha and blinks a bit at her glazed look. She notes to herself to ask about it at some point…
Gunther and Zahnrad head down the ramp. After a moment, they've disappeared into the woods.

Once Zahn and Gunther move off a bit, Amy whispers to Natasha, "Well? Is he the one?"

Olivia leans in to listen to the answer. "And what about this 'specter of death' you felt?" she adds.

Natasha looks between Olivia and Amy. She pulls her veils up once again, obscuring her looks. "Djivan, please help me home, I am tired." She starts down the ramp, and after a short bit, she says, "I am sorry, Miss Blacktail, Miss Veaver. He is. The specter will come for him."