In the Heart of Anvard (My Kingdom For a Horse): Free RP

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To take her mind off unwanted thoughts Flower sang softly to herself.

"Oh I'm a little postal kitten, do'ya have a problem with that? I'm a little talkin cat, or can'tcha see that? I'm a little postal kitten, flyin on a gryphon, sittin in a mail-bag, oh I'm a postal kitteeeeeeeen!"
 
Retaw laughed cheerfully at his assistant's improvised song. "Say, Flower, if we find ourselves doing this when the natural winter comes to Archenland, flying through cold air, you may want to rhyme 'gryphon' with 'stiffen!' "
 
Retaw

"Now, that leads to a thought. Humans and related races have a technique that helps them in winter: they heat a stone in a fire; then, when it's just cooled enough to touch, they wrap it in a cloth and keep it with them. If we do continue this work into the winter months, we could get a stone like that to ride in the pouch with you and keep you warm. We could ask the people we meet at our stops to re-warm it in their fires."
 
Drainor was prowling through the lands of Annvard. He had left the inn once he thought it was safe. He decided the best thing to do was to get more information from the Narnians, as it would help his decisions on what to do next.
 
NPC Soldiers

Suddenly, a sound was audible to Drainor's ears: the sound of a very large number of armed men moving to surround him. A great amount of metallic odor accompanied the human odors. A stern voice spoke from directly in front of the blinded Werewolf:

"Stand fast, in the King's name! You have been recognized and identified as a Narnian Werewolf. We have more than enough force here to slay you even if you had your sight, and we are informed that you have lost it. If you yield and do as you are told, your life will be spared. Make any hostile move, and you will have more arrows and spears in your body than you have teeth in your mouth."
 
OOC: Question: how did Dranior get to Archenland? Maybe I just didn't catch it, but I don't remeber him being anywhere near Archenland.:confused:

IC: "That'd be nice, if we're still doing this then." said Flower, "But by then I could just use Middy, because he'll probably be here by then."

'At least I hope he will be...'
 
RETAW: "Yes, I hope you and your brother are together again before natural winter comes."

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~ ~ Drainor fled the battlefield what must have been at least two days ago now. His other senses could compensate for his lost vision enough to let him lope along fairly fast. But the noncombatant human survivors of that battle are all on the same side of Anvard that Drainor would have had to approach first, and they haven't forgotten him. Once seen, he was reported.

And by the way, the royal troops aren't pulp-movie idiots. They are not in a continuous ring all around Drainor such as would cause their archers to hit friends if Drainor ducks. The archers all have clear lines of fire, and civilians are being hustled out of the way. Also, the spearmen all know to let the archers attack first if needed. But if Drainor behaves himself, he might even be turned loose (in another location), since he himself did not kill any innocent people that Goewyn and Pindra know about.
 
There were four more deliveries to make, of which two resulted in written replies also paid for. During the intervening flights, Retaw frequently recited to himself the spoken replies he had promised to relay for free, starting with Larto's betrothal to the freed slave woman from Calormen.

The last delivery was the farthest inland, which was to the west. All was well; in this wilder territory, the Gryphon could even hunt up some supper: a wild goat, which he shared with Flower. Retaw took some time to digest; then--

"Settle yourself securely, little friend! Now comes the hard, straight flight back to Anvard, and it will be full dark by the time we get there. As we near the city, I will want you to help me distinguish the inn, so we won't cause a disturbance by landing where we _aren't_ expected."
 
Flower shrugged.
"No problem. Cats have great night vision, y'know." she informs her friend.

'Now if this little cat can just stay awake long enough to find the inn, then we'll be good.' Flower giggled, she knew that was what her brother would say if he was here, Midnight had always been that way.
 
Retaw

"Your night vision is exactly what I'm depending on. But it will be more than an hour before we draw near the capital, even at my best speed. So if you're able to sleep, go ahead and sleep. I'll awaken you when I need your eyes."
 
Retaw permitted Flower to sleep as long as possible, until.....

"Flower, time to wake up! I'm slowing down for my approach. At the moment, Anvard is ahead and to our left. I see four lighted buildings on the northern outskirts of the city, any one of which could be the inn. I remember that one of the structures near the inn was a large private residence; not sure about the others. Can you make out which one is our destination?"
 
"Oh whatsit to ya? Oh yeah. Um, one second...." Flower stared at the buildings, finally picking out the correct destation.

"That one, right in the middle." she says.
 
Retaw

OOC: I forgot to _say that they went by that sheep-farm again to return the rope and deliver Larto's message, and that Spalik in the port city had furnished a replacement rope to be used in the last stages of the trip, but please assume that those things did happen.


"Thank you. Now keep low in the pouch for safety."

The Gryphon swooped in low, but not yet in his actual touchdown. "Careful on the street!" he called out. "Incoming Gryphon!" He knew that Archenlanders were aware of the existence of creatures like himself; but they would not yet be accustomed to looking up in the air over Anvard.

The landing was accomplished without mishap. The owner of the inn had been waiting anxiously for the couriers to return; he now rushed out to greet them, accompanied by Goewyn, Pindra and their children.

Goewyn was first to speak: "Did you get everything done?"
 
Flower popped her head up, then jumped out of the bag.

"Got everything done alright. I don't think anything went wrong either.... Can I go back to sleep /now/?" says the little cat.
 
"Pindra's daughter was hoping you would sleep in the room provided to our little group," said Goewyn to the Cat. "She has made up a little bed for you in an old basket the innkeeper's wife provided."

Meanwhile, Retaw was lying down so the innkeeper could collect the money paid by persons sending return letters, and pick up those letters to be given to their intended recipients. The Gryphon planned to sleep on the roof, where he would be out of everyone's way, and would be able to feel breezes which were deliciously warm after the accursed chill in Narnia.
 
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