Village Evening

"In love... Mayhaps maybe. I know they like each other- a LOT- but love..." Farai shrugged "Haven't seen 'em together long enough to know so or not." she added before ordering another drink
Farai turned back to her "But yeah- if Echo and Iapto are always this way around people then who knows. Maybe they are in love..."

Rowan sipped at the last of her water, and watched Farai as the woman got rowdier and rowdier. She looked up as Echo rejoined them, supressing a grin as she spotted his slightly flushed face. Obviously more than talking had gone on outside.

“You better not have been drinking my beer.” It was even harder not to grin as Iapto walked up, also flushed and looking slight disconcerted. Rowan snickered into her glass.

"Are you alright Iapto? You look a little red, you don't have a fever do you?" Rowan said with mock concern, grinning childishly and struggeling not to giggle. She'd only known these people for an hour or so, but she liked them enough to act like her normal childish self.

“You better not have been drinking my beer.” Iapto said to Farai as she was taking a swig of her own, causing her to choke a little on what she had been about to swallow.

"Would I ever do that to you, Iapto?" she asked, batting her eyes teasingly at her sister.

Though that didn't mean that she didn't pour a bit of her drink- which tasted similar enough to Farai- into the cup she had drank from when Rowen quipped, "Are you alright Iapto? You look a little red, you don't have a fever do you?"

Farai gave a sideways glance at Iapto, a smile on her face- Iapto hadn't seemed to be in a terrible mood, nor Echo... So things probably went well, one could assume. "Oh, Iapto, want your bag back?"

Rowan threw a discreet glance at the boy, not that he didn't notice. He may be missing an eye, but he was still rather attentive on whatever was going on around him. Soon enough, Iapto joined the bunch, her face still a tad flushed from moments ago.

"Are you alright Iapto? You look a little red, you don't have a fever do you?"

Echo looked off as his blush re-grew a tad. He cleared his throat innocently, stroking Ida's fur as she lay across his lap with a purr, then lift a finger to catch the barkeep's attention and ordered another drink. Afterall, he'd yet to get the free drink Farai owed him. Soon after, the man returned with a glass and he took a sip, refusing to turn to the girls.

"Would I ever do that to you, Iapto?" Farai said innocently.

Iapto raised a brow, “Yes...” She replied with a smirk. Reaching past and picking up her, now refilled, drink

"Are you alright Iapto? You look a little red, you don't have a fever do you?" She heard Rowan asked as she took a drink. Iapto watched her over the rim of her drink, eyebrow raised, hearing Echo clear his throat and look away into his drink. She didn’t look at him, but rested her glass on Farai’s shoulder.

“Ohh do it?” She replied, a mock look of questioning. “Well it was a bit cold outside...” She mused.

"Oh, Iapto, want your bag back?" Farai asked, with a small smile.

“Yes please.” Iapto replied cheerfully. “I realised I had left my knives in it when I went out for some air.” She said, not taking her eyes off of Rowan, a smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

Rowan, hearing Echo clear his throat and turn away form the group, gave a half muffled giggle

“Ohh do it?” Iapto replied, with a mock look of questioning. “Well it was a bit cold outside...” Rowan was about to make a teasing remark when Farai spoke up

"Oh, Iapto, want your bag back?" she asked with a small smile. “Yes please.” Iapto replied cheerfully. “I realised I had left my knives in it when I went out for some air.” A smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

Rowans giggle quickly turned into a nervous laugh, and edged slightly away from Iapto. "Hehe.... I'll just shut up now and finish my water." She turned to reach for the glass and promptly knocked it over onto Kiva. The cat yowled at her, and swiped at her hand as she went to grab him, then went and sat by Echo and proceded to lick dry his wet fur. She pouted and huffed childishly, and started untangeling chicken feathers from her hair, muttering under her breath.

echo smiled and rose a hand to pet Kiva, who didn't seem to keen on the idea, folding his ears back displeased. That was far from stopping Echo from continuing though. He chuckled, then looked over at Rowan. "So. Chickens, huh?" he smirked, wondering exactly what the little thief had been up to.

"So. Chickens, huh?" Echo said smirkingly. Rowan grinned ruefully, "hehe, yeaah.... chickens."

She examined a speckled feather she'd pulled from her charcoal tresses,"I hadn't had anything to eat for over a week, Kiva hadn't been able to catch anything big enough and I don't have coin enough to buy a bow or anything.... I was passing a farm, and saw a chook yard, and I figured their owner wouldn't miss one or two, or any eggs if there were some."
She laughed, "I had just grabbed one, when Kiva spooked the rest and they started sqwarking and carrying on," she mock glared at her cat. "The farmer must have though it was a fox or sumthin', cause next minute he comes runnin' from no where, waving a pitchfork and followed by a pair a dogs. I took off over the fence, but my belt got stuck and I was hanging upside down from the post, so he spotted me strait away. I managed to get free, and he chased me right into the village. I could barely keep ahead of him, so when a got around a corner, I made for the first door I saw."

"So. Chickens, huh?" Echo said, the smirk almost audible in his voice.

"hehe, yeaah.... chickens." rowen said, looking at a feather before launching into her tale. [b]"I hadn't had anything to eat for over a week, Kiva hadn't been able to catch anything big enough and I don't have coin enough to buy a bow or anything.... I was passing a farm, and saw a chook yard, and I figured their owner wouldn't miss one or two, or any eggs if there were some. I had just grabbed one, when Kiva spooked the rest and they started sqwarking and carrying on... The farmer must have though it was a fox or sumthin', cause next minute he comes runnin' from no where, waving a pitchfork and followed by a pair a dogs. I took off over the fence, but my belt got stuck and I was hanging upside down from the post, so he spotted me strait away. I managed to get free, and he chased me right into the village. I could barely keep ahead of him, so when a got around a corner, I made for the first door I saw."

When she had finished, Farai leaned back and looked at her beer, "So [i[that's[/i] who the angry guy from earlier was..." just to see how asleep Warin really was, she took some jerky from her belt pouch and dropped it by the hounds face... it was snapped up before it hit the floor.

Iapto listened to the three of them talk, discussing the chicken issue. She, however, was rummaging through her bag. Having re-sheathed her knives she was discreetly checking the conditions of the two Shinlai masks she had. Both were still in good condition, the thick folds of her coat clearly doing their job well.

Once sure the masks were re-wrapped safely she sat back on her heels and scanned the pub. The crowds were starting to thin out, with people wondering off home for the night. The pub probably had rooms for travellers, but Iapto was reluctant to stay or pay for one. She’d much rather find a safe spot outside, amongst the trees.

She hiked the bag onto her shoulder and nudged Farai. “Where are you stopping over night?” She asked, she didn’t know if the troupe was nearby or if Farai and Mel had done a runner again. “I saw a barn that might do...” She mused to herself before drinking the rest of her beer.

Echo listened in to the girl's story

"Looks like you could use some lesson's from the pro's" he chuckled. "So, I take if you're hungry? I knew there are a few barns in this town, going out to nab something doesn't seem like a bad idea. Ida here can snatch a pheasant out of flight, i'm sure chickens wouldn't be a problem." He kept his voice down, so he wouldn't bring attention about the possible future theft.

Echo looked over Rowan's shoulder to notice Farai and Iapto muttering something at eachother. He really wasn't going to pry in to girl talk however.

“Where are you stopping over night?” Iapto asked Farai, to which the redhead shrugged, Mel was around the village somewhere... “I saw a barn that might do...”

Farai stretched and looked at Iapto, "Sure. I think I know how we can get the farmer's permission..." she leaned foreward onto the bar, "Y'see, Mel's in the village around here somewhere and what type of man would say a shinlai couldn't stay a barn of his... Not like she'd eat any livestock..." she smiled, "And I don't think he'd risk not knowing her elements and saying no..." she shrugged, "Then again, I could be wrong."

“Mel’s here?” Iapto asked, she hadn’t spotted her anywhere, but then again the Shinlai would have no chance of fitting in the pub. “Woman,” She scolded, swatting her sister’s arm. “Where’s your sense of adventure? We’ve got some expert chicken wrangler’s, a pair of bouncy cats, and a... a dog which seems to be asleep...” She said, idea’s already whirring through her head. She whistled for the barman, who gave her such a glare she almost turned away, and ordered another drink.

“One for the road, then we get busy.” She said determinedly to the small group. She grinned at the idea of sneaking around the village. She had way too much fun with this profession.

Rowan twitched the feath infront of Kiva, trying to get him to come to her.

"Looks like you could use some lesson's from the pro's" Echo chuckled, "So, I take it you're hungry? I knew there are a few barns in this town, going out to nab something doesn't seem like a bad idea. Ida here can snatch a pheasant out of flight, i'm sure chickens wouldn't be a problem." She blinked at him. "You'd do that for me?... you only met me an hour ago."

She twisted aroun as Iapto whistled the barman, who glared, obviously his patience for the group was waring thin. “One for the road, then we get busy.” The brunette said determindly, grinning.

"You'd do that for me?... you only met me an hour ago."

Echo smiled "It's not really a crime to help our own, right?" he raised a hand to remove one of the feathers in Rowan's hair, before Iapto shout out to the barkeep “One for the road, then we get busy.” Echo raised a brow, the smirk not leaving his face "Got a plan, do you?" he hesitantly questioned the woman.

Farai watched as Iapto called the by now very annoyed bartender, saying, “One for the road, then we get busy.”

Upon hearing this, Echo turned and said, "Got a plan, do you?" a smirk on his face.

Farai just shrugged, "Talk to her-" pointing to Iapto over her shoulder with her thumb, "about it. I'm just along for the ride, apparently." She looked out the window, wondering where the heck her sister of a shinlai was in this town.

Iapto grinned and downed her drink quickly and lowered her voice, leaning closer so she wouldn't have to talk loudly. “Well if you two go chicken snatching, while me and Farai go scope out a barn to crash in.” She said quietly to Echo and Rowan. “There’s one at the back off the village I passed on the way here, it looked pretty abandoned, that’ll probably work well enough.” She continued, glancing at Farai. “I doubt my sis is up to much swiping.” She said with a chuckle.

“Lets goo.” She said eagerly, grabbing Farai’s arm and all but hauling her out of the pub. Whistling for Warin, but receiving a curse word from the barman. She trotted out into the street and started heading for the back of the village.

((Farai has been kidnapped! Shall we get to the barn/fall asleep then close this rp? It would make sense.))

“Well if you two go chicken snatching, while me and Farai go scope out a barn to crash in. There’s one at the back off the village I passed on the way here, it looked pretty abandoned, that’ll probably work well enough .I doubt my sis is up to much swiping.”

Echo snort "You're crazy. But i'm in." He looked over at Rowan "Care to come along? I promise this time you'll leave with more than just a hairfull of feathers" he chuckled. Right afterwards, Iapto pretty much dragged Farai out of the pub, Warin close behind and, as the barman let out a curse, Echo scoot off his stool and grabbed Kiva, along with Rowan's wrist, dragging them out of the pub as well "Too slow! And ain't no way i'm paying that bill with no money!" a quick whistle called Ida along with them.

Rowan turned to Ipato and Farai as Echo looked over her shoulder, asking "Got a plan, do you?" Farai shrugged, "Talk to her about it, I'm just along for the ride apparently."

Iapto downed her drink, “Well if you two go chicken snatching, while me and Farai go scope out a barn to crash in. There’s one at the back off the village I passed on the way here, it looked pretty abandoned, that’ll probably work well enough .I doubt my sis is up to much swiping” she said, dropping her voice. Rowan turned back to Echo as he snorted, "You're crazy. But i'm in." He looked at her "Care to come along? I promise this time you'll leave with more than just a hairfull of feathers" She was about to answer, when Iapto dragged Farai out of the pub, whisteling for Warin and recieving a curse from the barman. She was suddenly dragged up from her stool, as Echo grabbed her wrist, picked up Kiva and made for the door, "Too slow! And ain't no way i'm paying that bill with no money!" The door was swinging shut as the Barman yelled after them and a clay tankard shattered on the door frame.

She laughed as Echo dragged her along, "You people are all crazy!"

Farai couldn't hear what Iapto, Rowan, and Echo were talking about, but she shrugged and finished her beer- she had only a little left...

“Lets goo.” Iapto said, excited, grabbing Farai's arm and whistling for Warin, the dog immediately getting up and following after his humans.

Farai let out a noise of shock and went with Iapto's pull, laughing by the time they made it to the street, "Well." she said, prying Iapto's fingers off her arm and looked at Warin, the dog trotting alongside without a problem. "I have to know how many times you do that, and if it always runs that smoothly..." It was dark, and she could just see the silhouette of her sister, so she had to ask, "Is there any particular reason your bag was so heavy?" as she slowed down- the bar was way away and they still had to find Mel...

"Well. I have to know how many times you do that, and if it always runs that smoothly..." Farai mused, prying Iapto’s hand off her arm. Iapto then proceeded to link arms with her instead, slowing to a walk.

"Is there any particular reason your bag was so heavy?" Farai asked her.

Iapto glanced at her from the corner of her eye. “I tend to carry a lot of stuff...” Shea said slowly. “It’s not always that heavy.” She added. “I just have two rather precious things I don’t want to get damaged.” She said. She couldn’t remember if she had told Farai about her mask collecting habits.

"You people are all crazy!"

"So we've been told!" he laughed back, stopping when they put some distance between themselves and the pub. Iapto and Farai had gone one way, they had gone another. "So, chickenfeathers, you all alone eh?" Echo questioned the girl as they walked, Ida trotting along behind them.

"So we've been told!" Echo laughed back, as he let go of Rowans wrist and slowed to a walk.

"So, chickenfeathers, you all alone eh?" she shrugged, "I have Kiva..." she said, reaching over and rubbing the cats ears, "But other than him, yeah." she answered, nearly triping as she stubbed her toe on an uneven cobblestone. "So.. how do you, Ipato and Farai know each other?" she asked, figuring she might aswell ask her own questions.

"I have Kiva...But other than him, yeah." she answered, nearly triping as she stubbed her toe on an uneven cobblestone. Echo already readying himself to prevent her from taking a nasty fall. "So.. how do you, Ipato and Farai know each other?" she questioned
"Well I didn't know Farai until today really....as for Iapto, we have known eachother for a while. I met her when I was still raising Nootau. Remarkably we seem to run in to eachother at the worst of times." he laughed and point down at her foot. "Is your foot alright?"

After successfully prying Iapto's hand off her arm, Farai took the arms linking in good stride, smiling and humming to herself.

“I tend to carry a lot of stuff...” was Iapto's reply to her heavy bag. Farai shrugged, she could understand that...

“I just have two rather precious things I don’t want to get damaged.” That got Farai's attention.

"Oh? What type of precious thing?" she asked, obviously curious by her sister's secrecy.

Remembering that she still needed to find Mel, Farai looked at Warin, telling him in an excited voice, "Go get Mel, Warin, go get 'er!" Warin wagged his stub of a tail and ran off, going to find the pale 'lai. "... It's a good thing he's good with names, I don't want him dragging back something from who-knows-where."

"Oh? What type of precious thing?" Farai questioned.

Iapto glanced at her with a small grin, laughing as Warin bolted off to find Mel. “I’m currently hauling around a pair of Shinlai masks. I’m waiting to run into an elder or mask maker before handing them over.” She said swiftly and smoothly, as though she did that every day. “Doesn’t give much of a reward, but hey.” She said with a light shrug.

“If Warin comes back with a small child, I’m blaming you.” She added.