(Jeez, that's a real string of bad luck right there. Was it the weather that cancelled it?)
Rick's eyebrows rose. "Bandits? I shoulda guessed, there sure are enough of the no-good troublemakers around here. How'd you get away?"
"It took a while," Mike answered. "Tanrial befriended some of them, including the leader, and she was able to learn their patterns enough to influence them. After a couple days, Bernon showed up and started pestering them, and we managed to slip away while they were distracted."
Rick nodded. "Sounds like quite the time! You can tell the story to your grandkids someday. I am sorry I didn't try harder to find you…..I went out lookin', but the storm had washed everything way and I couldn't track you."
(Nah, there was an FFSA game on so like a charity match to raise money for the fires. They cancelled all trainings and matches to get people to go)
“Don’t feel too bad, Rick. At least you went out and looked for a little while, it’s the thought that counts. Besides, we were quite a way out, anyway.”
(Ah, I see. Not to change the subject, but how are things going with the fires lately? Nobody over here's really talking about it anymore, but I still worry about you guys tbh)
Rick smiled ruefully. "Must have been. Anyhow, I'm glad you're all safe now."
"Hey by the way," Bernon spoke up. "What happened to Ryker's kids? We didn't see them around last night or this morning."
"Oh yeah! They're all out on the boathouses. They decided they'd stay here in the fishing village, and so far they're settlin' in pretty well."
(Well… it’s still pretty bad. Luckily it rained where I am but I think the fires are still burning like an hour away. The ones on KI have finished but there’s not a lot left, sadly. The ones in VIC and NSW are still terrible)
“Thank the Lord. Being honest we all got kinda worried on the walk over when we didn’t see them, thought they might’ve packed up and left without a warning or a goodbye,” Tanrial sighed, “Good to know they’re okay, though.”
(That's awful. I hope things calm down soon over there, stay safe fam)
Mike nodded in agreement. "I'm glad they're adjusting to everything that happened. Any sign of Ryker or Eric after they ran off?"
"Nope, nothin'. Good riddance, if you ask me."
At this point, Snatch ran up to Tanrial and tugged on her sleeve. "This is borinnngggg," she whispered while the others talked. "Come hang out with me, Tanrial, I wanna show you something!"
(Thanks)
Tanrial glanced down at Snatch, looking to the boys before back to Snatch with a smile, “All right then, lead the way.”
Snatch grinned and dragged Tanrial down the beach towards a small inlet sheltered by trees not far away. "This is my favorite place. I'm learning how to swim here, and I can practice using my fire when I'm in the water 'cuz then I can't burn anything." She spread out her wings and splashed into the shallows, kicking at a shoal of tadpoles that darted away from her. "I can catch minnows with my bare hands! Sometimes. Can you do that, Tanrial?"
Tanrial chuckled lightly, taking off her shoes and socks before rolling up the end of her trousers to join Snatch in the shallow water, "No, I can't do that. Then again, I've never tried to do that before but I doubt I'd be as good as you."
Snatch puffed up her chest proudly. "Hehehe. Yeah, I'm probably the best there ever was. It's really easy! The only hard part is sitting still until the fish comes close. But once it does, boom! You grab it and throw it out of the water really fast, and now you have a fish! You can also just swallow them whole right away, like Mommy does, but Pa says he'd rather cook them first." She kept rambling on, obviously happy to have someone besides her parents to talk to. "How do you eat your fish, Tanrial?"
(did I really cry for about an hour before I had to go out tonight? Yes. Yes I did)
Tanrial listened to her talk, smiling softly to herself as she let Snatch ramble, "I like my fish cooked, like your dad," She replied, picking up a flat stone and skimming it across the lake, "I could never eat one raw. Well.. I've done it before, didn't enjoy it though."
(aw man, how come? :( )
"Raw fish is great," Snatch asserted firmly. "Cooked fish doesn't taste like anything." A sudden thought distracted her and she hopped out of the water. "Hey! I still have those drawings I made, of you and Mike an' Bernon! I kept them real safe!" She ran a short ways into the woods, then came back with a very old, battered metal lunchbox with faded cartoon characters on the sides. "I found this on the beach and I put my favorite things in it." She pried it open and carefully removed the rolled up pieces of paper with her artwork on them, showing them to Tanrial proudly. "See?"
(Idk, I wanted to wear the shirt and then I guess because of all the crap this past week I just you know.. cried? Told you it would happen soon)
Tanrial smiled at her, "Aww that's wonderful! Probably not best to keep them out here by the water, though. I don't want you to drop them and ruin them."
(I'm sorry I wasn't on last night….)
(Well…..now that you've cried, do you feel any better? Sometimes after I finally let myself cry, it lets out some of the stuff I've been bottling up…)
Snatch glanced at the lake and nodded seriously, backing away from the water's edge as if it would try to grab the drawings from her. "Let's go back to the others 'n ask Bernon if he has any more paper. I wanna draw some more. I wanna draw all of us beating up some stinky bandits, hah!"
(It's fine. and I guess I feel a little better, idk. Sorry, I'll shut up now)
Tanrial nodded, agreeing with the little girl as she waded out the water and grabbed her shoes, "Sounds like a good plan. Besides, I think they need a break from talking about all of that grown up stuff."
(Okay….just so you know, you don't have to drop the subject unless you actually want to. I said I was willing to listen and I meant it. But if you'd rather let it go, I understand that too)
"Yeah they do! Stupid grown up stuff." Snatch scampered back to the others and leaped straight up onto Rick's shoulders. Rick didn't even flinch, just chuckled and reached up to help her balance. "Can we help you with somethin', you little typhoon?"
"Bernon, do ya have more paper?" Snatch asked from her perch. "I wanna draw!"
"Oh yeah, sure!" Bernon took his journal out of an inside pocket on his coat and flipped to the back, tearing out a few pages. "Here you go. I have a spare pencil too if you need it."
While they were talking, Rick glanced over at Tanrial. "She ain't bein' too rowdy, is she? I know you three are still worn out and probably want to take it easy."
(Yeah, I know. I'd rather drop it)
Tanrial chuckled lightly, shaking her head as she stood beside him, "Nah, she isn't. She's very energetic, yes, but it's… nice, since we haven't been able to talk and all. She might be a handful but I definitely missed her."
(Okay)
Rick nodded. "She really missed you three, too. Wouldn't quit askin' about you. How long are you planning to be in the neighborhood? I guess you'll probably be headin' west as soon as you can?"
She sighed softly, slipping the hand that wasn't holding her shoes into her trouser pocket, "I think we were planning on heading west tomorrow. We're pretty much ready to go. We just wanted to say hi and goodbye to you all and take a mental day before we left."
"Fair enough." Rick watched Snatch and Bernon sketching together with a smile. "Well, when you head back to the village, would it be all right if Snatch tagged along? She'd love to be with you a little bit longer, and she's got some new friends her age she could visit too. It's just an idea, though–maybe you three wouldn't want a rascal like her runnin' after you on your day off."
Tanrial chuckled, “Oh I’m sure it won’t be a problem at all, really. I’d enjoy having her around, at least. Mike might want some peace and quiet but he can deal with it.”
"Well, if she gets too wild, you just tell her she has to head back here unless she settles down." Rick gave her a nod and turned back to the half-built cottage. "I'd better keep workin' on this project. It's real good to see you three again."
"Tanrial!" Snatch waved from the rock where she was sitting with Bernon. "Come see what I drew!"
“Nice to catch up with you, too. Don’t over work yourself.” She replied heading over to where Bernon and Snatch where, “Watcha draw?”
Snatch held up her picture, which was mostly a mess of shapes and scribbles. "There's me, and there's you and Bernon and Mike, and there's ma 'n pa, and there's the bandits. We're all using our magic and guns and knives to fight 'em! Also I added teeth and claws to everybody 'cause it's better that way. D'you like it?"
Tanrial sat down next to Snatch, looking down at the artwork with a smile as she nodded, “That great Snatch! One day you’re going to an incredible artist. Don’t you think, Bernon?”
"For sure!" Bernon agreed, looking up from his own art. "I think you're even much better then the last time we drew together, kiddo."
"Well duh," Snatch bragged proudly. "What did you draw, Bernon?"
"Oh, not much yet." Bernon showed them a sketch he was working on of Rick working on the house. Higher up on the page was a loose portrait of Fear as well. "I like to draw people sometimes. I'm not very good at them, but they're still fun and interesting."
(Sorry I had lessons where I couldn't get on)
Tanrial leaned back onto her hands with a sigh, "You both better then me, that's for you. I can draw stick figures and some weird, contorted version of a bird and that's it. It's not pretty I'll tell you that much."
(It's all good)
Snatch snorted. "Drawings aren't s'posed to be pretty! They just have to be the picture you wanted to draw!" She picked up another piece of paper and held it out to Tanrial. "Here, draw me an' then I'll decide whether it's good, okay?"
Sighing, Tanrial took the paper and the pencil, “Fine fine, but it won’t be as good as yours.” He found a flat part on the rock and started sketching. At first it looked like she was trying to draw a person but then it turned into some weird looking face.
Snatch posed dramatically, tossing her hair to make it look like the wind was blowing. "Jus' lemme know when you're done. Draw me too, Bernon!"
Bernon patiently flipped over his paper and did as he was told, smiling. "Of course, Princess Snatch."
"It's Queen Snatch!" the girl corrected. "Y'all are the princes 'n princesses!"
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