Caravan Campsite
Just across the Milk Run bridge from Stonebarrow, this flat, clear area has been set aside for travelers and merchants. Two freshwater wells are on site, along with a large map of the area and some bathroom facilities next to the swamp (where nobody will notice the smell). A sturdy corral is set up for Dromodons or other drays.

Today Olivia has the morning off from the Weaver's guild due to some much needed cleanup and repair work on some of the dyeing equipment. So, the Skeek decided to go check on Bravil and see if there is anything more she can learn before the magical dive into his subconscious. The gypsy camp is quiet this morning, with only a few people milling about. Olivia can see Liliana standing outside her wagon … and hear her a moment later when she yells, "An vou better get de otter smell out of de drapes, too!" The bat then looks skyward and spreads her arms as if trying to ask the world 'Why me?'.

As anxious as Olivia is about visiting Bravil and seeing his condition, she just has to stop by Liliana's wagon first to see how the cleanup is progressing. "Hi there, Lili," she greets the Eee, giving her a little wave. "I guess those two Lapi brothers are cleaning up for you? How are they doing?"

"Dey be complainin' about bein' tired. Dey sure veren't complainin' vesterday," the Eee notes and turns her head to look at Olivia. The Skeek is greeted with … normal looking light blue eyes, instead of her usual glowing red ones. "An me wagon smell like swamp, otter, an sweaty buck, bleh."

Olivia tries very hard not to grin, and succeeds – well, mostly. "Hey, they looked big and strong to me, I'm sure they'll get over the fatigue. I also wanted to ask if all your jewelry and clothes were all right, too. Because, um, Axel and Parsley kinda got into them. I hope they didn't rip them!" Then she sobers a bit and pauses to look closely at Lili's eyes. "Uh, you look a little different today, Lili. What happened to you at the Gnarly Tree?"

"Eh, clothes are fine. Dey used to abuse an grabby peoples," Liliana notes with a dismissive wave of her hand. The Eee tilts her head quizzically, then just grins a bit, "Oh, me eyes. Yah, dey a bit differen' for today. De town vitch decided to transfer a bit o' me into dat doe girl, Miranda. She no doin' so vell, though. Havin' a hard time."

Olivia does a double-take. "Er, Isolde put a bit of you into Miranda?" she asks, incredulous. "What in the world for?"

"To temporarily accelerate de transformation into a vampire or ghoul, so she's kin lead people to de vampire who bit 'er," Liliana explains. The Eee then thumps the back of the door with her hand ands calls out, "I 'eard dat! Don' forget Eee hear better 'in vou. I's gonna sell vou to dem, I am!"

Olivia rubs her temples. "Talk about being between a rock and a hard place," she mutters. "So if Isolde put a bit of you into Miranda then… oh. Oh no. Dare I ask how many people she's hit on so far?"

"Vell, mainly me. She kept snoggin' me, she did," Liliana notes with a small shrug. After a quick stretch of her wings, she says, "I didn' know vour Lapis vere like dat. It no uncommon wit' my species, but it always seem to be uncommon wit others."

Olivia puts her head in her hands now. "Poor Miranda – she is going to be so embarrassed when she snaps out of this!" she groans. Thens she peeks out from behind her hands. "So does this mean a bit of Miranda is in you now? Had any sudden urges to go wrangle bunnies lately?"

"No, no, it go one vay," Liliana says with a grin. "I mainly jus feel … calm. Like vanting to jus' sit an read a good book, instea' o' finding someone t' tease."

Olivia drops her hands and smiles at that. "Well, if you decide to give in to that urge, let me know – I've got several good novels back at the Weaver's! Plots with mysteries in them, mostly." She scratches one cheek idly. "Well, I'd better go. I told Natasha that I'd look in on Bravil before we perform that ritual to see if she can figure out what's wrong with him."

"If vou see Parsley, send 'er dis vay," Liliana says, then rubs her chin for a moment. "An, Miranda migh' try t' snog vou. I sure have. But vou von' ever let me."

Olivia starts walking away as she replies, "All right, I'll tell her. And you tease me enough, Lili, so I can do without the snogging! See you later! I hope the Lapis do a good job with your wagon!"

That's probably one of the few times Olivia has gotten away from the Eee without an attempted snog or having her tail pinched. Behind her, Liliana sticks her head back in the wagon and yells, "Take me frillies off vour head! Vhat is it vith vou men?"

Olivia just shakes her head and walks over to Bravil's wagon. When she gets to the door, she knocks on it gently. "Hello?" she calls. "Is anyone in there with Bravil? It's Olivia."

"Hello Olivia," calls back the familiar voice of Natasha, "I'm just sitting with him. The door is unbarred. You can enter."

Olivia opens the door and steps into the wagon, shutting it behind her. She looks towards the Khatta and asks, "Any change in him at all?"

The inside of the wagon is very non-descript and basic. The large wolf lies quietly on a reinforced bed; breathing slow and shallow. Natasha is sitting nearby him and is dressed in a simple robe; she doesn't look like she slept last night. Beside her is an open chest, full of miscellaneous items that probably belong to Bravil. "No, no real change," Natasha says and looks over to Olivia. "He just grows weaker."

Olivia pulls up another of the plainly made chairs and sits next to Natasha. She sighs as she looks at the wolf. "I hope we can perform the ritual soon, then," she says. "We really don't have a lot more time to lose." Then she looks over at the open chest, curious in spite of herself, trying to see what's inside.

"I want to try tomorrow, after the others return from their vampire hunt," Natasha notes, "There isn't much longer we can wait." Inside the trunk is … a mishmash of unusual items. There is a pile of torn and tattered cloth that looks old, various bits of paper. And to the side of the chest, a rusted hilt of what looks like a dagger.

Olivia nods and says, "Well, just send word to the Weaver's when you want me to come." Then she peers closely at Natasha's worn face. "It looks like you could use some sleep," she says gently, but matter-of-factly. "Or at least a few cups of good, strong tea. Do you want me to sit with him for a while so you can rest?"

"Oh, no. I will sleep later. But thank you for the offer," the Khatta says. "I was going to go through his things to try and get a clue as to what he may be experiencing by understanding more of where he is from."

Olivia ahs and looks back at the chest. "Well, at least I can help you with that," she says and smiles.

"By all means. You know more about cloth related things than I," the Khatta says and waves to the chest. Natasha reaches down and pulls out the rusty metal dagger and starts scraping away some of the layers of grime with a clawtip.

"All right, I'll start with the cloth first – although I must admit, what might be on those papers is what interests me," the Skeek says. She reaches inside the chest and carefully picks up the pile of cloth, since it looks very old and therefore fragile. She begins looking it over.

There's an unsettling tearing sound when Olivia tries to carefully handle the bits of cloth. But, the damage is not without benefits. What looked like just a dingy mottled-brown cloth must have originally been a dark forest green from what can be seen on the newly exposed fibers. The threads are also very fine; whatever it was, it wasn't cheap material.

With a grating sound, Natasha draws the old blade from its sheath. The blade is pitted and marred with rust, presumably from being in contact with tanned hide for so long. The Khatta turns it over and over slowly in her hands. She peers in close at a bit near the hilt, then starts scratching at it carefully with a claw, flaking off bits of rust.

Olivia takes a very small scrap of the newly-torn material and starts running it through her fingers, trying to get a better feel of the cloth. If the fabric is a more common one, it will feel rougher to the touch, but if it is zolk or similar, it will feel cool and smooth. She also looks over the other scraps to see if any designs have been sewn into them.

The material definitely feels cool and smooth where it has been exposed. The other scraps are also pretty far gone, but one of them seems to have an embroidered patch on it, though what, if anything, is says can't be readily seen from where it lays in the chest.

Olivia puts the scrap she has been touching back into her lap and reaches into the chest for the cloth that seems to have been embroidered upon. She almost holds her breath as she does so, not wanting to harm the cloth further. She tries to pick it up as carefully as she can.

The scrap comes out without tearing. With it being closer, Olivia can just make out the outline of what seems to be a gear design. Inside it is some sort of series of symbols, making up a shield-like pattern. Underneath the patch is some delicate scrollwork, but it's too dirty to make out what it might say.

"Too much rust," Natasha says with a soft, disappointed, sigh. "I cannot make out any writing or forgers mark that may have once been on the dagger. The quality must have once been incredible to have survived this long."

"As is the quality of this cloth – it's old and falling apart, but it was very fine when it was first made," Olivia chimes in. "I'm not entirely sure if it's zolk, but if it's not, it's pretty darned close. Also, see this insignia here – are those gears? And it looks like a shield is inside those." She offers the scrap to the Khatta for a closer look.

Natasha sets the dagger aside and peers at the cloth. "Yes, I think those are gears. I would guess that the shield … that could be a family crest, perhaps. What does the writing say, though?" the Khatta asks and reaches over to a bowl that had been sitting beside the bed. she offers it to Olivia and says, "Cold compresses. Do you think the water could clean it enough to read?"

Olivia takes the bowl and puts it beside her chair. "I really wish I had a bottle of the gentle cleaning solution that the Weavers use to restore old quilts with, but since that's not available, plain old water will have to do. However-" here the Skreek pats the various pockets of the vest she's wearing over her shirt until she comes up with a paintbrush. "Hah! Thought I had one of these with me; nice soft bristles on it, too. Now maybe I can clean this off without having the material disintegrate on me." She dips the brush into the water and gently strokes it over the scrollwork on the cloth.

The work is painstakingly slow; the dirt has been caked on for potentially a century. But with Olivia's skill, she manages to slowly clear away enough to make out what was written just beneath the patch: 'Randschutz von Chronotopia'.

Paintbrush still in hand, Olivia smacks herself on the forehead. "Of course! The gears, those should have given it away from the start. And fortunately, I've read enough about the lands near us to have a shot at what the writing actually says: Border Guard from Chronotopia! Wow, Bravil was a soldier!"

"Bosch. That would explain much," Natasha says and rubs her eyelids carefully. "Do you know much about the land of Bosch and its dealings with Chronotopia?"

"Umm, well, I know the basics," Olivia admits. "I know that Bosch and Chronotopia have been enemies for a long time, and that magic is so wild in Bosch that it's literally made the place into a land of living nightmares. Everything is warped there, isn't it?"

"More or less, yes. It can warp others who have contact with it as well. If Bravil was a guard on that border," Natasha says, letting the statement trail off as she looks back to the sleeping wolf. "Perhaps that is what happened."

Olivia looks horrified and nearly drops everything out of her lap. "Just being at the border of that place could do this to you?" she asks, wide-eyed. "Poor Bravil!" Then she looks up at Natasha and says in a small voice, "I have a bad feeling that if he's stuck in a realm of nightmares… he may be re-living the time he was close to that place. And if we're going into his head… "

"We will see the same horrors he did," Natasha says with a small nod. "If you wish to not go, I would understand. I must go, I owe him that much and more," she adds and looks back to the chest. She reaches in and pulls out a yellowed and curled bit of parchment. Carefully, the Khatta unrolls it, then frowns. "It's written in Bosch. I cannot read it," she says.

Olivia places the patch carefully on the small table by Bravil's bed so it can dry undisturbed. Then she puts all of the other scraps of cloth back into the chest and picks up another scrap of paper there. "I'm still going," she says in the same small voice. "If I said I wasn't scared, though, I'd be lying. But you told me that if I just remembered where I was, that I was only in a land of dreams and was as calm as I could be, then I would be all right. So I'm going. I think you and Morgan could use the help."

Something falls to the floor when Olivia draws out the piece of paper.

Curious, Olivia leans down to pick up the fallen item.

Natasha has her eyes closed and rubs her temples briefly. "We need Axel," she says softly. "He could read these."

It's a gold ring. The band is twisted and stretched, as if torn open violently. The top has an intricate crest pattern on it and has bits of wax stuck to it.

Olivia turns the ring over in her hands. "Hmm, I wonder if he used this ring to seal letters? That would explain the wax on the crest… " She peers more closely at the emblem, too see if it matches the design on the cloth patch or not.

If it doesn't match exactly, it's very close.

Answering Natasha's question, Olivia says, "Axel might be with Parsley or Kalvin, I'm not sure which. I haven't seen him since the night he dressed up in Lili's scarves." Then she hands the Khatta the ring and says, "This fell out of the paper I just picked up. The crest on it is a pretty close match to the one on the patch I found, too. Looks like he might have use it to seal letters; there's wax on the top. Dunno why the band is all twisted up, though."

Natasha peers at the band of the ring. "Well, if the wearer was changed, it may have been damaged by it," she notes, then looks to the Skeek. "Would you be willing to take these letters to Axel? I don't want to leave Bravil's side," she says.

Olivia sighs as she replaces the ring in the chest. "If you like, but you know how Axel is. He could calmly translate the letters for us – or suddenly decide to set them on fire. Or peck at them. Goodness only knows with Axel! But I can try."

"Well, do you know someone else who can read Bosch? They're useless to us if we can't read them," Natasha points out with a sigh.

Olivia takes the papers with a rueful smile. "No, I don't know of anyone else who can. I guess I'll just take these and try my luck with Axel. Believe me, it's not that I don't like the man, it's just that talking to Axel is like talking to five different slightly insane people at once!"

"All right," Natasha says and muffles a yawn. "I may nap while you are gone. Do let me know what he says, if it has any sort of sense to it." The Khatta then lowers her head down to rest on Bravil's chest.

Olivia smiles gently at this and lets herself out of the wagon, closing the door softly behind her. Then, squaring her shoulders, she sets off towards town, to see if she can find out where Axel may be.

---

After a short walk back to town and several attempts at asking around, Olivia is finally directed to the Frog and Peach inn, where Parsley was last seen taking Axel. For some reason, everyone Olivia asked about Axel gave her a sad smile and said, "Poor girl, I hope the Gods are with you." When Olivia enters, she can see Axel sitting at one side of the inn and everyone else save Parsley sits on the other.

Parsley sits across from Axel, with her usual air of limitless patience and compassion. Then again, she supposedly comforts Ducky now and then, and has probably figured out a way to deaden her sense of smell.

Olivia mutters to herself, "Oh yeah, this is going to turn out just dandy, I can sense it already." But she takes a calming breath and marches over to where Axel is sitting. "Hello, Axel. May I talk to you for a little while? I, er, uh… need your help. With something."

Olivia also turns and gives Parsley a smile of greeting.

"Good morning, Olivia," the doe says, smiling. "Everything going well with your charming Skreek beau?"

"Always happy to help," Axel replies, in a uncharacteristically calm and friendly voice. More characteristic, however, is the way he's peeled an apple with his claws – in to the shape of a smiley face.

"That's very good, Axel," Parsley notes to the strange hybrid creature. "You didn't mark up the table top at all that time."

Olivia gives Parsley a slight double-take at that particular question, but she manages to say politely, "As far as I know." She raises an eyebrow at Axel's smiley-faced apple, but presses on bravely. "Dame Natasha told me that you know how to read Bosch. Is that true? Because if it is, I have some documents here that are written in Bosch. We need to have them translated."

"I've been practicing. I whittle!" Axel wiggles his slightly sticky claws at Parsley, grinning widely. "I like wood, too. It carves well and it burns well. These things I appreciate." Turning to Olivia, Axel replies, "Bosch is of me and them. Not Bosch, but the language. We speak it to remember the old ways."

Olivia starts in surprise. Wow, that answer is as close to coherent as I think he's ever been, she thinks. She tries her luck again, opening up one of the papers she brought with her and putting it on the table in front of Axel. "That's good! Here's one of the documents that we need translated. Can you tell me what it says? And, uh, please don't set it on fire," she adds hastily. "We'd like to keep it unharmed."

"No fire," Olivia repeats, firmly.

"Try not to use your claws, Axel," Parsley adds.

The document is old. Very old. The ink has begun to fade and the language is definitely Bosch.

"No fire?" Axel sounds disappointed. "Very well."

Axel squints at the document, leaning forward until his glowing eyes illuminate the paper. After a moment of careful review, he declares, "It's old!"

Olivia tries very hard to keep from smacking her forehead in frustration. She manages it, but only barely. "Yes, I know that already, Axel," she says. "What does the writing on the paper say, though? Can you translate it?"

"Where did you get it from, Olivia?" Parsley asks quietly of the Skeek.

"Oh, what it says … " Axel makes it sound like he required the clarification, and that his was an easy mistake to make. "Reading … " His wings flutter as his gaze begins to trace across the paper. "Still reading – it's very dirty." He blinks, adding, "No water, please," and hurries on.

"From the gypsy camp," Olivia replies. "Dame Natasha is hoping that there's some information in it that will help us understand Bravil's condition."

Axel lifts his taloned hands up, wiggles them, then picks the paper up as he reads aloud, "Old style – older than ours! Date: 5907. Location: border outpost. Awr-" he clears his throat, "-ahem, rrk," and then his voice suddenly sounds deeper, more human, and a bit … grizzled. "The skies over that hated land of chaos have grown dim and wild as of late. The winds that blow are tinged with fire and death. I feel in my bones that a creeping nightmare may soon be upon us. Baron, please ready the town defenses as we will be readying the outpost defenses. Your fate fu-" The recitation abruptly ends.

Olivia takes off her flowered hat and digs a small notebook and the stub of a rose-colored drawing pencil out of its hidden inside pocket. She uses these to scribble down this information. Then she looks at Axel. "That's all the writing on that page?" she asks, wondering at the sudden stop.

"That is over two hundred years ago," Parsley comments. "It must be very good parchment."

"Writing stopped, reading stopped," Axel replies. He points a talon at the bottom of the parchment. "Can't read it."

Olivia ahs and opens the second piece of parchment that she brought with her. She puts that in front of Axel while taking the first piece back. "Thanks. Now can you do the same with the writing on this paper? After this one, there's only one more left to read."

"No fire this time?" Axel takes the second piece of paper, adjusts it in front of his face, and cluck-clucks as he reads it over.

Olivia shakes her head. "No fire this time, either."

"I'm impressed, Axel," Parsley notes. "I didn't know you could read."

Axel flutters his wings, lifting his chin a bit. "I can read," he says, sounding a little indignant, actually. "I can write too. And carve. I can carve writing, and write carvings."

"You're certainly doing very well reading these papers," Olivia says consolingly. "I can't read this language at all!"

"Continuing! Date: 5907, location: border outpost." The bird-man clears his throat again, mimicking the same voice he used to the first parchment. "The attacks grow worse, milord. They began with simple strike-and-runs against our patrols, but now they are bold and have taken to attacking our very keep. We lost three soldiers today. All were brave, strong, lads and died with honor. As tradition states, their bodies were burned to prevent the warping touch of Bosch from corrupting their flesh. What is concerning me, milord, is that these attacks are not as chaotic as Bosch usually is. Something may be leading them; a land of nightmares with a firm direction, such horrors can barely be imagined. I have heard that some of the Bosch monsters have even attacked the town walls. Pray tell me this is not so. As always, your-" Again, he abruptly stops reading.

Again, Olivia scribbles down this information, but her expression is beginning to turn grim. Without a word, she takes back the second piece of parchment and lays the third and last one in front of Axel. She nods, to indicate that he should continue. Although she does add, at the last, "No fire this last time, either, please."

"Never any fire," Axel sighs, shaking his head. He picks up the third parchment and looks it over. "This is not a happy story, Olivia, no it is not."

Olivia nods her agreement. "It isn't. I'm sorry you had to read it, but it may help Natasha and I to help someone else."

"This is to do with the big man, Bravil?" Parsley whispers to Olivia.

Olivia hesitates, then whispers back, "We're not entirely sure about that, but we're trying to find out." That's about as honest as she can be, at this point.

"It sounds familiar," the bird-man says, sounding sad. "Let me see … " He squints at the old writing, works his mouth, then begins. "Date: 5907, location: border post." This time, Axel doesn't need to clear his voice to mimic some other man. "Milord, we were wrong. When the attacks here had halted and they had moved to attacking the town directly; we redirected our soldiers accordingly to the town. That is what their leader wanted and hoped. A week after the soldiers left, they attacked us in force. We have held the walls of the outpost, but there are few of us left. I can hear their screams and taunts as I write this. I can sense the fear in our soldiers that still live; yet they stand ready as always to do their duty. We will die as we have lived, in honor and service to our country. Please, do not morn us when we fall; remember how we lived and celebrate our lives. Your faithful servant, your faithful son, Bannan, Captain." Axel blinks, then reaches up to rub at his eyes. He manages to knick himself a bit, leaving red lines as he rubs away the dampness. "Very sad," he remarks. "Very sad indeed."

Olivia drops her pencil stub on the floor when Axel reads the very last line. Blinking rapidly, she picks it up and hurries to scribble down what the last bit of writing he said. Then she puts away her own writing tools back into her hat. She takes the last bit of paper from Axel and rolls all three letters together. She stands, and smiles weakly at Axel and Parsley. "Thanks very much for your help. I… I need to get back to Natasha now. She will want to hear this."

"Who is Bannan?" Parsley asks.

"You're awfully mysterious today, Olivia," Axel comments. He looks at her with long, red cuts beneath his eyes, seeming not to notice them. "Be careful. Of the mysteries."

Parsley takes out a dwindling roll of gauze and a handkerchief, and leans across to try and dab the blood off of Axel's face.

Olivia tries to keep her expression as neutral as possible. "As far as the documents tell us, someone who lived over two hundred years ago," she says and shrugs. "Which is rather… odd." She turns her attention back to Axel and she nods. "I'll do my best." Just as she is about to go, however, she snaps her fingers. "Oh, I almost forgot! Parsley, Liliana would like to talk to you. I think she's kinda upset about her wagon being used for your… test."

"Hmm, did the brothers survive then?" Parsley asks.

Axel turns his head slowly, giving Parsley a 'what-did-you-do' sort of look. Lucky for Axel, he heals quickly, so the wounds on his face have already pinkened to healing tissue. "The years go by," he remarks, glancing at Olivia.

Olivia gets a little of her good humor back and grins. "Yeah, they're alive and well and cleaning the smell of damp otter out of her curtains!"

"Hmm, I wonder what they used the curtains for then," the doe wonders, then pats the back of Axel's hand. "They do indeed. And I just made some people happy. Apparently not Liliana though."

Axel peers down at the doe's hands, as if wondering how her hand snuck up on his. He frowns at it, then takes his other hand and pats Parsley's hand back. "Alive and well – I also appreciate that," he murmurs.

"I figure Lili will calm down once her wagon is cleaned out, so perhaps you should wait until tomorrow to talk to her. Maybe the brothers will be finished by then!" Olivia remarks.

"Good luck with your research, Olivia," Parsley says, smiling.

"Don't let the old paper make you sad," Axel warns. He picks up his smiley apple, then offers it to Olivia.

Olivia smiles back. "Thanks. We're going to need all the luck we can get, I think." She looks askance at the smiley-faced apple, but takes it anyway. "Thank you, too, Axel. See you later!" Then she heads for the door.