Mrs. Strawberry stopped her beetle on the hill overlooking where the small village had once stood. “I take it you were not expecting this.”
“No.” The H'trae elder peered down and scratched his hairless head in confusion. He was wearing long trailing robes made from the gold curtains of the late Tattered Sibling. He rubbed his hands over the fabric as he pondered the sight before them. “I guess that the knowledge of the area was passed down for many generations. I guess it makes sense that things were not as it was left.”
The view was of an expansive city, with tall walls made of stone and all the things one would expect from a medieval metropolis, except it was much, much cleaner. There was a general hustle and bustle as people moved in and out of the various gates. The banners of the city were black and with a golden woman atop them. The guards of the city had the same matching colors. Though the golden color was painted on the armor. As Mrs. Strawberry led the H'trae towards the gates there was a shout and the travelers were rushed into the city, the gates slammed shut and trumpets sounded all around the protective walls. Mrs. Strawberry looked at the H'trae and realization dawned. “Oh, they think we’re an army…” she explained to the elders. “Give me a moment to go and explain the misunderstanding, best you all withdraw to safety though, I can protect myself, but I don’t have the ability to protect you and myself at the same time.”
The elders shouted out commands and the H'trae retreated into the forest.
The granny walked down the road at a slow pace, her beetle close beside her in case a fast retreat was needed. As she approached a gate guard exited from a small door that was immediately slammed shut behind him. The guard stopped within shouting distance, his shield raised and hand on a weapon that looked like a circular saw blade. “WHO ARE YOU?”
Short and to the point, the ranger immediately liked the fellow. “I’m Mrs. Strawberry, I have a large populace of H’Trae ex-prisoners needing food and shelter. Who are you?”
“I am Ivan of the guard of the Whirling city!” He paused and moved close enough to stop needing to shout. “Where did you lot come from? There isn’t any slavers for kilometers and those H'trae don’t look like any creatures that I know of.”
“They’ve been underground for a few thousand years.” She could see the man’s suspicion and added. “Ever heard of the Tattered Siblings?”
“By the Dancing Lady’s grace!” he took a quick step back, raised his shield, his armor and shield dissolved into red sigils that floated around him. He released the circular blade; it darted in the faster than a hummingbird. He drew a saber and his feet moved to a dancer’s pose. “How close are they on your heels, we must get you all inside now!” His words were intense and serious. Behind him the guard saw his magical protections and called out alarms, the same red sigils burst to life on the walls of the city.
Mrs. Strawberry put her hands on her hips, in a tone that would allow no nonsense she said “They’re dead. Have been for several hours.”
“Wait! What?” Ivan’s posture slipped as he attempted to analyze this information that defied all logic. “Who?”
Mrs. Strawberry pulled down the deboning blade of the last Tattered Sibling from its place on the beetle’s back. “Me.”
“Mmm,” He chewed his lower lip doubtfully, his eyes traveled from the black blades down to the pan in her hand. His mind cleared as he noted the metal object, relief in his voice as he asked, “You’re a cook?”
Mrs. Strawberry spun it in her hand. “Yes!”
“Oh!, that explains it.” Ivan sheathed his sword; his red magic fading around him, armor and shield reforming into metal. He waved at the H'trae as he raised his voice “Let’s get you lot patched up! Get you fed and after baths into some clean clothes!”
The cheers from the H'trae thundered across the city, hills and valleys of the Whirling lands.
-
The sun was just setting, the H'trae had been fed, able to clean up in the public baths, even the sturdiest of the newly free was unable to keep their eyes open. They had been taken into whatever free rooms were available in taverns and inns throughout the city. The only one still awake was Mrs. Strawberry. She was on the fourth floor of the guard house, sitting on a terrace that overlooked the steeped roofed buildings of the city. Beside her was a wooden bucket full of soap suds and hot water. In her hand was a rough washcloth as she cleaned her new cooking blades. She stopped in her task to take a sip from a flagon of warmed drink that reminded her very slightly of apple cider and cinnamon. There was an unexpected sweetness similar to raspberry preserves.
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“Sure you don’t want to try it?” She asked Eli, the cub was chewing on the beetle’s horn enthusiastically. The Frozen Death looked up at her, saw the drink and snorted in derision. She chuckled with a pleasant warmth and returned to cleaning the meat cleaver, she grumbled at bit of grime that refused to come clean from the razor-sharp edge of her new Tattered blade.
“Thank the Petals!” Devourer exclaimed as he stepped onto the terrace. “We followed your strawberry arrows to the city! What happened? Are you okay?!”
The cook put her rag and blade away to allow the Auris to give her a hug of relief. “I am fine, Devourer. I got into a fight with some unpleasant creatures and helped a very pleasant race of creatures called the H'trae escape.”
Descendre emerged from the room and twined around the elderly woman before settling down beside her “I feel a tale is in order.”
Mrs. Strawberry regaled her colleagues with the adventure of the Tattered Siblings while they enjoyed a banquet. The piping hot seafood was buttered and perfectly seasoned. All the morsels of deliciousness were brought in the shells of a crustacean, the dishes also created from the same shells. The cook ended her story with “And that is how I beat the last Tattered Sibling.”
Onion stared at her open mouthed, “I never would have expected you could use your pan like that.”
“Agreed.” Descendre and Devourer said in unison.
Gus stretched out his arms before reaching down to tickle the dozing Eli with a drying rag. “My favorite part was her turning the tables when the Tattered Sibling flooded the catacombs.”
“You know what my favorite part was?” The Derkaz asked as she picked up a fish tail with her prehensile talon, covered the scaled creature’s fins with her purple poison before nibbling. The adventurers waited for her to finish her snack and complete her sentence, “My favorite part was the guillotine!”
“Guillotine!!!” Everyone roared in agreement.
“That battle did take a large portion of the day, though.” Mrs. Strawberry added, “Which means in the morning we need to make up time, if I am to help you kill the Colligere.”
“Mmmm, first I need to see a tailor about making adjustments to these.” he was wearing the top hat Mrs. Strawberry had retrieved from a Tattered Sibling, in his arms was a large heap of more Tattered clothing. That night the Auris contracted a tailor to make the necessary adjustments to fit his form before the morning. The tailor had been disagreeable until the three-eared gentleman removed something from an inner pocket and pressed it into the striped creature’s five hands. The tailor had crisply shouted out to his assistants that they needed to stop all projects and immediately help him with a rush job. With that adventure finished the Mottoy paladin picked up Eli and gestured towards the building with their rooms. “Best we get some sleep then.”
As Mrs. Strawberry and Eli slept maroon rodents with long tails came down from the chimney. They curled up around the woman and Frozen Death and hummed in unison. The pale white creatures crept in through the window and left before sunrise.
Onion and Gus were not pleased when they detected the moon magic in the room in the morning. The Mottoy left with a grumble about creatures not minding their own business. Onion watched his fungal friend leave before he spoke, “I would ask that you not mention this to the others.”
“Okay,” the warrior cook responded. “But I want to know what is going on with them following us; this is the second time you’ve dealt with these white critters.” Her voice was gentle but firm. “It appears something isn’t working.”
Onion’s skin flushed with slight embarrassment “Actually seventh time we have dealt with them. I chased them off a few times.”
Mrs. Strawberry sat down on bed, her voice was more firm and much less gentle “Explain please.”
“Well, it’s about Eli---”
“---you would not believe this!” Devourer announced with glee. He held aloft a tray of steaming food. “You have to try this!”
Mrs. Strawberry sniffed the food wafting up from the bowls, “Smells like a type of porridge.” As she was distracted the Silken attempted to quietly leave the room. She caught the movement, and her voice froze the plant mage in his tracks “You and me, we will talk later.”
The Auris raised a questioning eyebrow “What about?”
“Never you mind,” She ordered as she scooped up some type of porridge with a spoon. “Now tell me what I am enjoying.”
“It is Friday you have not vanquished the insidious Colligere!” The teleport stone shouted “Strawberry only has two days left.”
“Time to get moving.” The elderly woman said as she laced her boots.
It was a short time later that they waved at the inhabitants of the city as they traveled towards the Mountains of Fluffiness.
It was as they were crossing the foothills and moving up a mountain pass through a tight ravine that a large sparkling ball made of bones and webbing flew the air towards them.