Castle Road
The road from the infamous 'Dontgointhe Castle' is bright and cheery. The trees that surround it shimmer with emerald green leaves and are intertwined and interconnected with vines. Unseen birds chirp and caw, and when the breeze is just right, the mossy smell of the swamp can be detected.

It's mid-morning after the harrowing adventure in the lower tunnels. Olivia, Amelia, Djivan, and Zahnrad are all walking down the road. Axel insisted on remaining behind, fascinated by the odd squeaking that could be heard when the group emerged. Apparently, Liliana's cousin and Doctor Pike were still engaged in some 'research'. Seeing as how her cousin can walk back with Axel, the group grudgingly left him at the castle. On their way out, the strange bird-man was trying to have a conversation with Gaspode.

So, the day seems to be rather beautiful and idyllic. The road is clear and the weather very pleasant. Zahnrad seems rather lost in thought for now, having acquired quite the cache of odd tools to examine. Djivan is being well, Djivan. He's currently 'sneaking' from tree to tree along the road.

"Are you afraid the sun will get on you or something, Djivan?" Amelia finally asks the sneaking Skreek.

Olivia sighs as she watches the gypsy do his best 'you-can't-see-me' act. "We're not underground with any more hidden nasties that might eat us, you know," she adds, half-grinning at Amy's comment.

"Vou never know vhat migh' be lurkin' and ready to grab vou," Djivan notes, then sticks out his tongue at Amelia and Olivia. "Vou are too trustin'."

"Trusting?" Amy asks. "No… I just think that I'm the most dangerous thing in these woods… "

"Vou? Dangerous? Hah! Dangerous to vour boyfrien' maybe. He been in a daze since we lef' de undergroun'. I t'ink vou broke em," Djivan retorts.

Amy glances at a bush that looks suspiciously familiar, and nudges Olivia. "I think we're being stalked by your ex-boyfriend," she whispers to the Skeek.

Olivia gives Amelia a strange look. "Ex-boyfriend? Who-" She breaks off and also notices the bush that they should have left behind a while ago. Then she quirks an eyebrow at the Kadie girl and says very softly, "Should we go poke it or something?"

"Huh? What? I'm not in a daze," Zahnrad says distractedly. He then peers at the Skreek and says, "And whatever Amelia and I do is none of your business, thank you very much!"

After glancing at Zahn to see if he's noticed anything, Amy whispers to Olivia, "I'm curious to see what happens when Djivan tries to 'hide' behind it."

Zahnrad looks rather oblivious, really.

Olivia whispers back, "Well, if it appears to 'walk' with us again, we could both throw stones into it and see who pops out!"

Amelia seems to consider that. "I wouldn't want to hurt Gunther," Amy whispers. "I think he just needs some more training in concealment."

Unfortunately for Amelia, Djivan doesn't try to hide behind that particular bush; he opts for a tree near it. As he's about to dart to the next tree up the way … the mysterious bush screams and launches itself at the Skreek! Djivan has enough time to squeak in alarm and goes down under the bush! "Help, I be bushwhacked!" he wails.

"It's only Gunther, unless Dr. Pike has been growing carnivorous shrubbery," Amy claims.

Olivia rolls her eyes heavenward and huffs, "Oh, for the love of-" Then she stalks over to the bush, picking up a long stick along the way. Once there, she pokes the bush a few times with gusto. "Let go of Djivan," she growls. "I've had quite enough upsets for one day and you're NOT HELPING, thankyouverymuch!"

Zahnrad just sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose. "Get off the rat," he tells the bush. And with that, Gunther's head pops out of the top of the bush and glares at both Zahnrad and the poking Olivia. "You're not the boss of me!" Gunther claims.

"Why are you mugging a Gypsy though, Gunther?" Amelia asks calmly. "They never carry any money."

Olivia grabs Gunther roughly by the scruff of the neck and heaves, trying to pull him out. "If you push me enough, I will be," she says, giving the Kadie boy her own equivalent of the gypsies' Evil Eye.

"Because it's all their fault!" Gunther tells Amelia. The Kadie then yeeps as he's suddenly pulled out of the bush. "Are you telling me to leave?" he asks Olivia.

"I am not related to him," Zahnrad mutters and shakes his head. "Nope, not at all."

"What's all their fault?" Olivia asks, setting Gunther to one side of the road while she attempts to roll the bush off of Djivan. "Are you okay down there?" she asks the gypsy.

Djivan pushes the remains of the bush disguise off his back with Olivia's help. "Kin I kill him now?" he asks the group.

"Invasions!" Gunther declares.

"No, you don't have a license for it," Amelia tells Djivan.

"Vou kil him, den," Djivan tells Amelia and glares at the younger Kadie.

"I can't do that, he's my student," Amy explains. "And which 'invasion' are you babbling about now, Gunther?"

"Since when?" Zahnrad asks Amelia. This is apparently news to him.

"So, dis is vour fault? You teach 'im to jump Skreeks?" Djivan growls at Amelia.

"Of course not," Amy says to Djivan. "He would have done it much better otherwise."

To Zahn, she whispers, "I haven't shown him anything dangerous yet, just tips on how not to charge in and get killed… "

"We're being invaded! Morgan is already negotiating with their leader! They're huge. And I mean huge huge. Like, twice your size huge!" Gunther insists and waves his hands frantically.

Zahnrad looks at Amelia funny. "You plan to show him dangerous stuff?" he finally asks her.

Olivia exchanges glances with the others. "Have you been getting into Isolde's special batch of wine again, Gunther?" she asks. "What's this about negotiations? With whom? And about what?"

"Not until he's able to handle it," Amy claims, then blinks at the claims of hugeness. "You're talking about the Gypsies, right, Gunther?"

Gunther shakes his head. "Not gypsies! They have money! Or at least, they look like they have money!" Gunther declares and starts hopping up and down. "And I don't know what about. I couldn't hear!"

"Sooo, big people with money?" Amy asks. "Rhians?"

Gunther shakes his head! "No, huge cat people! With BIG swords!" he says quickly. Djivan scratches his ear and notes, "Maybe he did ge' into some wine or somet'ing."

"Tigers?" Amy asks, trying to narrow things down. "Where was all this happening?"

Olivia looks suddenly startled and asks Gunther, "Wait… cat people with swords… Khattas?"

"Back near the inn!" Gunther says. He then shrugs and says, "I've never seen a Khatta that big, but maybe. They were all stripy."

Olivia looks at the other three. "Should we go and check this out?"

Somewhere in the distance a voice calls out, "There you are!"

"Yes," Amelia says. "You don't find tigers in Sylvania, they're more likely from Abu… what?"

Gunther squeaks and darts off into the woods! Zahnrad just watches his brother go. "I'm sorry. About him, that is," he apologizes lamely. The Kadie then peers down the road, trying to see who just spoke.

"Wow, you'd think it was Dame Natasha the way he skedaddled like that," Amelia notes.

Olivia frowns, a disturbed look crossing her face. "I don't like the sound of this… other Khattas in Stonebarrow?" she mutters to herself. Then she calls out to the voice in the distance, "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Up the road comes running a … Khatta? Well, if it is, it's not exactly huge. It has to be shorter than both Amy and Zahn. And as it approaches, 'it' is a girl. Probably a rather young girl at that and dressed in the most brightly colored garb, all reds and golds. With the way it shimmers and flows, it has to be zolk or similar. "I found the bush!" she declares in an accented standard and points at the pile of Gunther's former disguise.

"It's alright, we killed it," Amy says, gesturing to the discarded costume. "Djivan here used his Gypsy Black Thumb Death Grip on it."

Olivia looks taken aback by the girl's entrance. "Ummmm, miss, may we help you?" she asks as politely as her surprise will let her. "What's so important about this bush?"

"You did?" the girl says, sounding rather disappointed. "I've been trying to find it all morning after I spotted it following us around. It ran away when I approached it. I've never seen a running bush before."

"Are you new to Sylvania?" Amy asks the kitten, talking very slowly.

Djivan peers at the small Khatta. "He was afraid o' her? She tiny!" he declares, master of the obvious.

Olivia groans a little at this. "That's our Gunther, ever the Welcoming Committee," she says in an aside to Djivan.

"Been here a month, maybe? I don't really know," the Khatta admits. She kneels down beside the bush and pokes at it.

Djivan shrugs at Olivia. "He odd, dat's for sure," the Skreek tells Olivia, "I don' see why he afraid o' her."

"Are you here to try and get into the Barrow?" Amy asks, assuming it to be the most likely reason for anyone to come here in the first place.

Olivia finally recovers her composure enough to grin as the girl pokes at the discarded bush-disguise. "I think you'll find what made that bush run has run away, too. Sorry it disturbed you," she apologizes.

The girl looks away from the bush and at Amelia. "What's a barrow?" she asks. The Khatta then grins at Olivia and says, "It didn't disturb me, it was fun! Better than sitting inside all day like mother wants. Why did you shave your tail?" Typical little kid topic jumping, that.

Olivia blinkblinks, then looks at her perfectly normal tail. "I, uh, didn't shave it, it's naturally like that. All Skeeks have bald tails. And I'm glad the bush didn't disturb you after all. For once," she adds, in an undertone and more to herself.

Switching into babysitter mode, Amy next asks, "Does your mother know you're out here by yourself?"

"But they don't have bald tails," the kid says and points at Zahnrad and Amelia. Zahnrad comments, "And a good thing, too."

The Khatta looks up at Amelia with blue eyes and grins as if caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Uhm, no? I snuck away from the bodyguards," she admits.

Olivia now exchanges smiles with the others. "Well, before you go back to your mother, let's just get this straight… Skeek." She points to herself. "Skreek." She points to Djivan. "And Kadies," she says at last, pointing to Amy and Zahn. "Squirrel-people," she adds, for clarification.

"Well, I guess we'd better take you home before they panic," Amelia says. "Where are you camped?"

The girl nods her head. "Squirrel people. The guys wear dresses," she says, smiling. "Where's your dress?" she asks Zahnrad.

"My what?" Zahnrad asks the girl, looking dumbfounded.

Olivia blinkblinks again – then bursts out laughing! "She's… seen… Morgan… " she manages to gasp out, in between howls.

"Yes! He's short," the girl says.

"Lady Kalila!" comes a booming voice from down the road. From the sound of that voice, whoever this is is probably huge. The girl goes stiff, then darts behind Amelia and pulls the Kadie's tail down over herself to hide. "I'm not here!" she says to the others.

Olivia jumps at the sound of the very loud voice now booming down the road toward them. "If you want a better hiding place, try the bush," she says out of the corner of her mouth to the girl. "But tell me first - who is this that's approaching? One of your bodyguards?"

"What?" Amy says, trying to pull her tail free.

The little girl has quite the grip on Amy's tail! "Yes, that's one of the body guards," the girl whispers as she fights for possession of the tail.

"LET GO OF MY TAIL!" the Kadie girl demands, and puts down her halberd so that she can use her hands to try and pry the feline's paws off.

And now in view is an absolutely huge feline. He's probably twice as tall and twice as wide as either of the Kadies. He's dressed only in bright blue billowy pants and carries an enormous chitin sword at his side. The blue unfortunately clashes really badly with his black striped orange fur and white chest. "Holy crap, he huge!" Djivan declares.

"I'm telling you, try the bush – Amy's pretty sensitive about her nicely-groomed tail," Olivia adds, not without some amusement.

The yelling apparently scares the little girl, who immediately lets go and jumps backwards, fur hackled up. She hisses at Amelia, too.

The Kadie's tail is twitching like mad now, and she glares at the Khatta girl and says, "Don't you hiss at me, young lady, or I'll send you straight to bed!"

Zahnrad covers his eyes with his hand and sighs. "He's going to kill us," he mutters, then taps Amelia's shoulder. "I'm not sure it is wise to yell at a child with a huge bodyguard," he notes, then tries to get Amelia to look towards the approaching guard.

Olivia sighs. "Right. Fine." She now looks over at the young Khatta. "If you promise to let Amelia and Zahn take you back to your mother, Djivan and I will head this guy off at the pass so you can sneak by. Would you rather do that than have him come charging after you?"

"Bah, what sort of bodyguard can be fooled by a little girl anyway," Amy snaps, then finally turns around and sees the tiger. "Okay, maybe because she is little… "

It's unfortunately a little too late to try and head the tiger off, alas. He's seen them and heard the hissing. "How dare you lay your hands upon Lady Kalila," the tiger thunders as he reaches them. "The Gods grant you ten seconds to explain yourselves, before honor forces me to send you to meet them."

Djivan nudges Olivia and whispers to her, "Mebbe ve shoul' sneak off now, eh? I don' wan to tangle with him. He coul' squeeze one of our heads like a melon."

"Are YOU the one who is responsible for this little monster?" Amelia demands right back at the tiger. "How could you let her wander off! Don't you know it's dangerous out here? And why haven't you taught her any manners?!"

Olivia steps forward and nods to the very, very LARGE tiger looming above her before any more can be said that might actually induce him to squeeze all of their heads. "Your charge is in no danger from us. She merely became bored with staying inside and snuck out to explore - just as any curious child would. As you can see, she is not harmed." She speaks very quietly but meets the tiger's gaze without flinching.

Amelia forces herself to stop, having coming to the point where she was about to climb up the tiger's chest to get in his face. Skeeks are the negotiators, she reminds herself. They sort things out. It's what they're for!

"I am her servant; she is not mine. Therefore, it is not my place to instruct her," the tiger says flatly to Amelia. His muzzle twitches as Olivia intervenes and explains the situation. He then simply bows his head and says, "She is headstrong, yes. And far too curious for her own safety. The Mistress should not have brought her on this trip, but she would not listen to her advisers," he adds, sounding a bit calmer about the whole matter.

The little girl is still hiding a bit behind Amelia, peering out now and then at the tiger.

"Well… you should always escort her then when she wants to go out, so that she doesn't feel the need to sneak away," Amelia says, a bit more calmly. "What is your name, sir?" she then asks.

Olivia now dares to relax a little and offer the tiger a smile. "Perhaps it is her curiosity and boundless energy that induced your Mistress to bring her along in the first place? Those qualities would brighten even the longest journey, sir."

"The Mistress is very attached to her family. She could not bear to be parted from her child for long, and this journey would be long, indeed," the tiger explains to Olivia. He then turns to Amelia and look down at the Kadie. "We did. She doesn't like us around because we scare others away. She wants to meet people, but your people have not wanted to meet us," he says, "I am Abdul-Azar, servant to the most glorious Lady Inaya Al Nadia."

"Amelia Blacktail, Stonebarrow Militia," Amy introduces herself, then the others. "Zahnrad Kettenrad, one of our Hydro-logic-al Engineers, and Olivia Weaver, artist… oh, and that's her pet rat, Djivan."

"I no' a pet!" Djivan insists.

"He's very nearly housebroken, I hear," Amy replies.

"I break vou!" Djivan growls at Amelia.

Olivia tenses a little at the mention of the Lady Inaya's last name but does not let her suspicions show on her face. "Perhaps those in Sylvania are intimidated by your people's great size?" she ventures. "I must admit your, ah, height and breadth of shoulder gave me a turn there for a minute!"

Amy sticks her tongue out at Djivan to show she's just kidding. "Just ribbing you for getting a free peek at me, Gypsy."

The tiger kneels down and picks up the halberd, then offers it to Amelia. "Then I assume this must belong to you?" he says. Azar then nods his head to Olivia, replying, "We are guards, we are supposed to discourage those who may wish harm. It would not be very easy, if we were not big, no?"

Shouldering her weapon, Amy checks on Zahn and Kalila. She asks the kitten, "Do you like to climb trees?"

Olivia's whiskers twitch in amusement. "True enough." Then she hesitates, but finally asks, "May I ask what brings you and your Mistress so far from your home? It's only that we do not see many of your people here in Sylvania."

"A thousand apologies, that I do not know. The Mistress has not spoken to us on our business here," Azar admits.

"That is quite all right," Olivia says quickly. "I was merely curious. Will you stay at our inn in Stonebarrow for a while? A friend of ours who we just passed on the road did mention something about seeing someone from your party near our inn."

Zahnrad is being relatively quiet and just watching the little feline with curiosity. "Yes, but they won't let me. They never let me do anything," the girl says and glares at the tigers. "You can't talk to those other children, Lady Kalila. You can't go outside without us, Lady Kalila. Can't do anything… "

"They're probably in one of the cottages, better rent," Amy whispers to Olivia in Skeek. To the kitten she asks, "That's too bad. How about swimming, do you like to swim, or catch fish?"

"The Mistress was trying to secure rooms somewhere. I believe she was taking a nap, but should be waking soon. I must return Lady Kalila before she awakens," Azar says and glances back down the road towards the town.

"Water is icky," Kalila tells Amelia. "I like to eat fish; never caught one, though. Mother says that's for lower classes to do."

Tapping her chin, Amy next asks, "How about animals, or machines? Do you like either of those?"

"I had a pet once! It was an Eep! He exploded," the little girl says, her ears wilting.

Amy blinks at that. "We don't have exploding animals here. Well, there's Axel, but he's not an… animal," she says, then turns to Azar and says, "I think I can find someone to go along with Kalila and keep her out of serious trouble while letting her have fun. How dirty is she allowed to get?"

"As long as she cleans up, how dirty she gets isn't much of importance. I would ask, though, that you be careful of her clothing. It was quite expensive," the tiger tells Amelia. Behind her, she can hear the girl whisper, "And I hate them too. What good are clothes you can't have fun in?"

Olivia now turns to the Kadie girl. "Who did you have in mind as her escort?" she asks.

"Not Gunther," Zahnrad says flatly.

"Olivia can probably make her some pretty but practical play clothes," Amelia says, patting the Skeek on the shoulder. "And as for an escort… uh, not Gunther, and not one of the otters certainly. It'll have to be a Kadie or a Lapi that can keep up with her and not be afraid to say 'no' to her."

"Well, I cannot approve or disapprove of your offer, you will have to speak to the Mistress. Do you wish to accompany myself and Lady Kalila back to the town?" Azar asks.

"Yeah, better go so we can find out why you're here," Amy says, looking to Olivia for a yea or nay.

Olivia says quickly to Amelia and Zahn, "Would you two be willing to speak to Lady Kalila's mother? I will be happy to make play clothes for her, of course, but I do have some business I must attend to first."

"Oh sure, Olivia," Amy says, glancing over at Zahn. "At the very least, I'm sure we can get Kalila a pet bunny to play with when she's with her mother."

Zahnrad looks at Olivia funny. "Sure, but, business? What business? You're not coming with us?" he asks her, looking a bit confused.

Olivia replies, "No, not right now. I'll catch up with you as soon as I can, though, so I can take Lady Kalila's measurements for her new clothes. If her mother agrees to all of this, naturally."

"Uh, well, alright then," Zahnrad says. Djivan also looks at the Skeek oddly and says, "So, vhat happen t' me?"

Amy nods to the Skeek. "Oh, Olivia can escort you home, Djivan, so you don't get attacked by any more bushes," she comments to the rat.

Olivia looks at the Skreek. "You're coming with me… unless you want to go to town first?"

"No' really," Djivan admits.

Olivia smiles. "Then I guess that's settled!"

---

After a relatively uneventful trip, Zahnrad, Kalila, Amelia, and Abdul Azar arrive back in town. During the trip, the little girl apologized to Amelia for hissing at her. In short order, the group are sitting in the small kitchen of a rented cottage. For several minutes the group just sits there staring at each other.

"How old is your Mistress, if I may ask?" Amy asks the tiger.

"It is not polite to ask a lady her age, Miss Blacktail," the tiger notes, "But, I believe she is probably thirty. why do you ask?"

Zahnrad, looking bored, is inspecting the kitchen for things to 'fix'.

"Just curious," the Kadie says, smiling innocently. "Does she travel often?"

"Lady Inaya does not. This is the first time she's traveled this far from home," Azar replies. "I truly do not understand her desire to visit this place. It is … a thousand apologies, but the armpit of civilization."

"No, it's not. The next town over from here is the armpit of civilization," Zahnrad notes and sits down into a chair, looking a bit dejected on not finding any machines to tinker with.

"So it must be something pretty important to bring her all this way," Amelia notes. "What is her family business?"

"It has something to do with family, yes, Miss Amelia Blacktail," comes a melodic voice from a doorway behind the Kadie.

Amy's tail jerks, as she's caught a bit by surprise. She turns to look over her shoulder at who spoke.

Behind Amelia stands an immaculately zolk-dressed gray-furred and blue eyed Khatta. Her clothing flows and wraps around her as she walks into the room and settles herself down gently into a chair facing the two Kadies. She folds her hands lightly upon the table. Even her claws have been groomed and painted with a golden lacquer. "Please, forgive me. I have an advantage. I know of you, Miss Blacktail. But you do not know of me," she says.

"Umm," Amy says, biting her lip. "Are you here to hire mercenaries then?" she finally asks.

The feline shakes her head. "No, sweet child. I came to thank you," she says. She then motions to the tiger and says, "Abdul-Azar, please leave us."

"This doesn't have to do with frogs or prophecies or the like, does it?" Amy asks, although by tone it's practically a statement.

After the tiger leaves, Lady Inaya smiles to Amelia again. "No. This has to do with a necromancer names Valicross I know you slew a several weeks ago," she says. "You see, my family does do some trade with Justininople, and word reached there a few weeks ago that some people from a town named Stonebarrow were asking about how to redeem a reward."

"Oh, that," Amy says, grinning. "But aren't you from Abu-Dhabi? I didn't think they offered rewards on Necromancers… "

"They do not. But I do on a particular one, Miss Blacktail; the one who killed my sister," Inaya explains, her ears flicking back briefly. "Valicross took my sister from me when I was only ten. When I was able, I have been trying to find out what happened to him ever since."

Amy swallows, then says, "Oh… I'm sorry for your loss. He was a very nasty sorcerer… "

"All sorcerers and witches are nasty; that is why the college hunts them," Lady Inaya says quietly and looks at the Kadies. "But he … he must have been the worst. My sister was an incredible mage. Yet, he killed her and her entire escort. My family received the word of her death a year afterward, when the college investigation uncovered the ruins of the town where they must have fought. Remnants of her escorts were found too."

"Are you part of the College Esoterica yourself, ma'am?" Amelia asks.

"Me? No. I did not have the talent for it," Lady Inaya says.

Amelia relaxes subtly, and says, "Oh. Well, I wasn't alone in the effort, quite a lot of people were involved. Even Zahn here!" She grabs the passing Kadie by the arm. "He was… uh… he was the bait."

Zahnrad looks rather ill at the thought and mumbles, "I still have pains from all of that."

"And there was Olivia too, who actually talked to the monster," Amy goes on. "She should be here at any moment, I'm sure you'll want to meet her."

"Oh, I know, dear. Ah, yes, Olivia Weaver involved and someone named Wheel? Ah, no, Axel. I know it seems odd for me to come all this way, but," the feline says, "I needed the closure. I … I need to say goodbye, if that makes any sense?"

"Oh, yes, I'm sure it does," Amelia says, nodding. Anything to stall for time. "Maybe we can get Isolde to let you see… well, not the remains, but the box they're in… "

"You have Tasha's remains?" Lady Inaya asks, sounding shocked. Her ears then wilt and she says, "Oh, you probably mean the necromancer's remains."

"Oh, of course the necromancer," Amelia says quickly. "Tasha was your sister?"

Lady Inaya nods. "Tasha Al Nadia, Mage of Spirit," she says, looking rather sad. "She was a prodigy; Mother and Father were so proud of her. Then suddenly, she told us she had to go here on a college mission. They pleaded with her not to go, I pleaded with her. She just told us she had to, for all our sakes and that she loved us. We never saw her again. It seems like a lifetime ago and yet yesterday at the same time we were watching her airship sail off into the clouds."

"What did your parents think of you coming all this way though?" Amelia asks. "It is still pretty dangerous to travel in Sylvania, with the fighting between the Gallisians and… well, everything and everyone."

"They died several years ago," Lady Inaya replies with a sigh. "My husband died several years ago too, in a trading accident. So, I am the remaining family member. Myself and Kalila, of course. I have money … but little else. I needed to do this, for myself. For Kalila, so she will know how brave her aunt was."

The Kadie seems more shocked at the news of the recent deaths than of the long-ago one. "That is… what are you going to do after this?" she finally asks.

"Go home. Raise my daughter. Try to look to the future. The past has so much pain, but like the desert sands, one cannot remain in the same place for eternity. We must follow the flow of life," Inaya replies with a small smile. "All things have a beginning and an end. Such is the way of things."