Patchwork Universe

Trubshawe · Good Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 351 Location: The Zoo

Entwistle considered making a run for it but two considerations stayed him. First of all, it had been almost literally a rollercoaster of a day and after his recent near-death experience at the end of the talons of an eagle his knees seemed to have turned into jelly: there was no guarantee he'd make it more than a few metres before falling flat on his face. Second, he hadn't forgotten his failure to penetrate that roiling curtain of mist the last time round, and there was no reason to believe it would not prove an impassable barrier once again even if he reached it.

On balance, he decided he had no choice but to ascend the ladder and hope that whoever owned the voice was not quite as devious as the squirrel, or as bloodthirsty as the eagle. Slowly he hauled himself up one rung and then another, with frequent pauses to rest given his traumatised state. When he was mere inches away from the entrances to the hut he cried out in a small plaintive voice to the next guardian of the forest he would be encountering: "Please don't hurt me!?"

Arnora · God Joined: 29 Feb 2004 Posts: 81 Location: Yggdrasil

Arnora frowned slightly as she heard the plaintive cry. She would need to have words with Ratatosk. The squirrel clearly did not have enough to do at the moment.

"There is nothing in here which is likely to cause you harm. I certainly do not intend to hurt you.

I am Arnora, who are you and why did you come here? If there are questions you wish to ask or you came seeking something I will do my best to help. Please come in."

At the top of the ladder there was an opening into a large central room. The room contained a table and chairs and many chests and shelves of items. The range and quality of things on display was incredible. tapestries, metal work, carvings in wood bone and other unidentified materials, pottery and scrolls.

The structure was made entirely of wood and there had been no attempts to hide or build round the tree it perched in. One corner of the room had the edge of a branch cut across and leaves and branches intruded through walls and in windows. Several smaller rooms could be seen curtained off from the central room and one curtain left enough of a gap to see a further ladder up.

Trubshawe · Good Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 351 Location: The Zoo

Well, there didn't seem to be any wildlife lurking behind the furniture to leap out and inflict new acts of savagery on his person. In the circumstances Entwistle thought it best to tell the whole truth and hope that this serene-sounding lady would be willing to help him.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'm Entwistle, Assistant Zookeeper Second Class at Trubshawe's Zoo. It's just to the west of here but there's some sort of fog bank in the way and I couldn't get back. Then all these talking animals lured me up the tree and tied me up. I thought I was a goner when that eagle came for me."

He was gawping at Arnora's curious living arrangements now that he was getting a good look around the interior of the hut.

"Pardon me, ma'am, but do you live in this tree?"

Arnora · God Joined: 29 Feb 2004 Posts: 81 Location: Yggdrasil

Arnora smiled at Entwistle's rather hurried explanation. She was a bit worried about his reference to talking animals, she had rather hoped it was only really Ratatosk responsible. Perhaps she would need to talk with all of them. Their circumstances had changed a little after all.

Arnora tilted her head slightly in consideration and then answered Entwistle's question. "I do indeed live here. Although recently I have not spend much time here. Every so often I am required to go on journeys rather than remain here to receive visitors. I am sorry you had such a bad experience, Ratatosk is not the best of the residents to encounter as a stranger to our ways. I shall do my best to return you to your home but i'm afraid that it is no longer to the West of here. Things like that change rather often around here.

If you would give me a few moments to gather a few things then I would be glad to escort you.

If I meet you in a few moments at the base of the tree?"