Civiron's Realm

[Morty]

[Castle Pinktooth - Hotsprings - A vampire - A Knight - And a catte]

"I don't think they will. They've grown to accept my calling as a knight." Iknika gives the cat some more pets. "I'll do my best to make you proud!"

[Mee]

Town

Gala seems to consider the question, but the answer comes to her without her really knowing why.
"Something with cream, I think. Not ice cream. I'll be working that out for myself, after all." Maybe. Hopefully.

Town

"Coffee or cocoa and cookies it is!" Ber'ri exclaims with a nod, and she sets off on a self assured path, directly towar- wrong way.
90 turn to the left.
THIS is the correct way but this time much less confidently.

Eventually (less than a minute, really) the two find a very cute little hole in the wall coffee place, and she orders just a coffee. Plain. No sugar. And a croissant. And then looks over to Gala, curious what she may want too.

[Castle Pinktooth - Hotsprings - A vampire - A Knight - And a catte]

"I don't think they will. They've grown to accept my calling as a knight." Iknika gives the cat some more pets. "I'll do my best to make you proud!"

[Castle Pinktooth - Hotsprings - A vampire - A Knight - And a catte]

"I am certain you will, Iknika." Truthfully, she already had! Naku is extremely proud of Iknika, though privately, quietly, almost half dreading the following morning.
She doesn't know how to *teach*??? The heck can *she*, of all people, actually convey to someone else? She's no knight; tarnished and true. She's lied, she's hurt people, she's killed, murdered, cold bloodedly assassinated, enemies as well as . . . as . . .

Naku shakes her head slightly, shooing those thoughts away. She hadn't been herself. Her ears bounced slightly, as she let the fluffy kitty tummy fuzz help refocus her in the moment. She'll teach the young girl. She has a wealth of experience to draw from. And someone else training her could do it wrong.

A few more moments pass, the clouded, worried thoughts of her own past and historically . . . Always Definitely Right choices, being dispelled by the happily purring kitten.
"Very well then. I will see you in the morning?" Naku asks, looking back up at Iknika, a gentle, honest smile -- if a little thin from the sudden onrush of memories -- on her face.

"I am looking forward to it."

[Keeper]

Town

Gala just orders tea and a sfinge which no her player did not have to look up how to spell.
"So Ber'ri, what do you do? Do you work at your family farm? I guess I'm looking for a new career myself given the whole magic thing." Gala asks while swirling the tea.

[Mee]

Town

Gala just orders tea and a sfinge which no her player did not have to look up how to spell.
"So Ber'ri, what do you do? Do you work at your family farm? I guess I'm looking for a new career myself given the whole magic thing." Gala asks while swirling the tea.

Town

"I-," Ber'ri starts, before shaking her head slightly. Something felt a bit weird all of a sudden and with no warning, like someone dumping a bucket of water over her head. Her head clears a second or two later, and she looks down at one hand, a little confused.
. . .
She didn't remember putting nail polish on today. Let alone really cute, amethyst purple. Huh.
Anyway.
"S-sorry. Not sure what that was. Um. I . . .
So I work at a little cafe, to help put myself through college. My old*er* sister runs a private business out . . . somewhere. Never actually visited her at work, it always f-felt awkward. But my old*est* sister does work the farm, yeah! Crops an' cows an' some chimkens mostly." She hastily nibbles her own snack, and washes it down with some coffee, trying really hard to dislodge . . . whatever that had been.

[Keeper]

Town

"Oh, that's nice. I don't have any siblings. I was going to school for business but...I feel like now that I apparently have magical ice cream powers I could maybe do something with that? I could try to see what I can do and apply, you know. If you have a sister with a farm and a boss at a cafe maybe I could help someone..."
Gala glances around, as if the wind just blew through.
"Did you just feel that? It felt like something just happened."

[Mee]

Town

"Oh, that's nice. I don't have any siblings. I was going to school for business but...I feel like now that I apparently have magical ice cream powers I could maybe do something with that? I could try to see what I can do and apply, you know. If you have a sister with a farm and a boss at a cafe maybe I could help someone..."
Gala glances around, as if the wind just blew through.
"Did you just feel that? It felt like something just happened."

Town

"I *definitely* felt that." Ber'ri agrees, a little of a shiver going up her spine. She shut her eyes for the shiver, and when she opens them- . . .
Had her irises always been gold? Huh.
"But I feel . . . fine? How are you? Must have been the wind . . . .

B-but yeah," Ber'ri shakes her head to clear it, the little gold fleks in her hair -- those had to be new right there's no way Gala would have missed that -- sparkling in the light. "Um. Y-yeah I grew up at a dairy farm. If- if you have magic ice cream powers then for sure y-you could probably help a ton."

[Keeper]

Town

Gala stands up from the table, looking worried.
"Ber'ri, you're changing colors. Have you eaten anything uh, magic and shiny lately?" she asks, stepping over the table and gently trying to put a hand on her shoulder so she can get a look at her new increasingly-shiny friend.

[Mee]

Town

Gala stands up from the table, looking worried.
"Ber'ri, you're changing colors. Have you eaten anything uh, magic and shiny lately?" she asks, stepping over the table and gently trying to put a hand on her shoulder so she can get a look at her new increasingly-shiny friend.

Town

"Y-yeah. Thank you! I . . . I feel great.
Wait I mean-" It hits her suddenly that like, wait that wasn't an answer to the question she was actually asked. She was just feeling weirdly overwhelmed. "E-e-e-eating. Right. Um. N-no? Not that I'm aware of?" The gentle hand on her shoulder is perfectly successful, and Ber'ri may feel a little cooler than normal, but otherwise . . . fine?

[Keeper]

Town

"Well, if you feel okay..." Gala says quietly, sitting back down. She feels odd. Is there just something in the air in Civvy's realm? Like the smell of pastries in a bakery, just...not like that.
She stares up at the pinkish sky, pondering.
"So weird tangent. If I have magical ice cream powers. Does that make me like...an ice cream goddess? What would an ice cream goddess be like? If I got a job at your farm would that make me like, a cream and ice cream goddess?" she asks, sounding a tiny bit dazed.

[Mee]

Town

"Well, if you feel okay..." Gala says quietly, sitting back down. She feels odd. Is there just something in the air in Civvy's realm? Like the smell of pastries in a bakery, just...not like that.
She stares up at the pinkish sky, pondering.
"So weird tangent. If I have magical ice cream powers. Does that make me like...an ice cream goddess? What would an ice cream goddess be like? If I got a job at your farm would that make me like, a cream and ice cream goddess?" she asks, sounding a tiny bit dazed.

Town

"Yeah, feel . . . great actually." SHe looks at her hand, flexing it slightly, and shaking her head.
"But yeah um . . . I . . . I guess it would? If . . . do you. *Want* to be a cream and ice cream goddess? I think that's an important part too."

[Keeper]

Town

Gala also ponders THAT question, thinking about it.
”I guess so? I mean I can’t really think of a downside. Everyone likes Ice cream. Mostly. I certainly do. And having sweet magical powers probably beats trying to do accounting for a living. Especially if I don’t have nearly as many bills because magic.”
There may be existential questions about immortality but those don’t have to be asked right now! Or for a while!
”I guess I’d still have to figure out what it actually means though.”

[Mee]

Town

Gala also ponders THAT question, thinking about it.
”I guess so? I mean I can’t really think of a downside. Everyone likes Ice cream. Mostly. I certainly do. And having sweet magical powers probably beats trying to do accounting for a living. Especially if I don’t have nearly as many bills because magic.”
There may be existential questions about immortality but those don’t have to be asked right now! Or for a while!
”I guess I’d still have to figure out what it actually means though.”

Town

"Gosh. Bills . . ." And boy, she leaves *that* one resting there. But the tone of sadness is palpable. Hemking bills. "Ice cream is pretty good! And that definitely sounds a lot more fun than accounting, for sure. But yeah you . . .
Are gonna have to figure out what that all means. Because I am . . . very at a loss."

[Morty]

[Naku's Home]

Iknika arrives here the next morning, as agreed. She's wearing a warm jacket over her armor and is carrying a bag full of gear. She can haul more than you'd expect, it seems. Either it's her training or goblins can just do that.

[Keeper]

Town

"Well, I guess it's like...this is a goddess' realm, right? What's she like? Is she like, super big? Or small? Cute? Because...the person who gave me these powers was kind of weird. Like an icicle shaped like a person and wearing an expensive outfit. I don't wanna be all cold like that."
Gala does seem worried about that. She doesn't want to end up some strange, off-putting entity that can't relate to people like that strange ice cream vendor.

[Mee]

[Naku's Home]

Iknika arrives here the next morning, as agreed. She's wearing a warm jacket over her armor and is carrying a bag full of gear. She can haul more than you'd expect, it seems. Either it's her training or goblins can just do that.

[Naku's Home(?)]

Iknika, if she's never been out this way, may be a little confused when she arrives, as the first house that's on the path is a large, fancy, slightly intimidating looking full blown mansion. Sweeping curves, wrought iron, dark windows. Three floors tall, and . . .
Almost slightly *too* perfectly fitting the stereotypical 'vampire mansion'. As Iknika had approached, it's steadily gotten colder. Darker. Snow was falling, and piled on the ground, where previously had been mostly summer day.
And all was still. The occasional rustling of a branch, but otherwise . . . silence.

And, if Iknika is paying attention, there is a pair of tracks leading up to the house, through the snow.
But they don't go to the door.
They veer to the left, and pace around the outside of the house. Around the corner.

The tracks are faint, as it has been snowing, but they're some of the only disturbances in the snow, so not impossible to see.

Town

"Well, I guess it's like...this is a goddess' realm, right? What's she like? Is she like, super big? Or small? Cute? Because...the person who gave me these powers was kind of weird. Like an icicle shaped like a person and wearing an expensive outfit. I don't wanna be all cold like that."
Gala does seem worried about that. She doesn't want to end up some strange, off-putting entity that can't relate to people like that strange ice cream vendor.

Town

"Oh, Civvy? Ummmmmm." Ber'ri had only seen her once, and a few things definitely had stood out in that meeting. "She is shorter than I am. And seems kind of like . . .like a fairly normal person? If extremely pink. Like.
Oh my gosh I've never seen so much pink in one spot before." But then Ber'ri has to pause and think a bit, hmmmmm-ing quietly.
"Theeennnn . . . I mean. It sounds flippant but . . .
Then just don't end up like that? Like . . . you get to pick what you wear, right? Heck traditions and norms. Wear what makes you happy."

[Keeper]

Town

"Well. It's just. Do I get a choice? Is that...how it works? Is appearances just like clothes when you're a goddess?" she leans back in her seat.
"I wish I came with a manual. I mean...I've been trying not to be weird and say it to someone I just met, but you're really cute. She embodied ice being all cold and unsettling. If I have to embody something I'd rather embody the cream and ice cream stuff and be cute like you."
And then there is a soft, pale from nowhere and everywhere. The place would maybe become pleasantly cool if it wasn't often like that in Civvy's realm. Every tub of ice cream in the Town refills, every warm drink gets a nice shot of cream. And Gala, Goddess of Ice, Cream, and Ice Cream is also a short cowgirl with curly while hair with little flecks of rainbow color, big yellow horns under her little red hat, and of course a set of cow-like legs under a pristine uniform top.
"Okay I know I felt that one."

[Morty]

[Naku's Home(?)]

This is certainly unsettling. But maybe it's Naku's ice vampire nature showing itself, possibly without her intent. Iknika could head for the front door, but her usual curiosity leads her to follow the tracks instead.

[Mee]

Town

"Well. It's just. Do I get a choice? Is that...how it works? Is appearances just like clothes when you're a goddess?" she leans back in her seat.
"I wish I came with a manual. I mean...I've been trying not to be weird and say it to someone I just met, but you're really cute. She embodied ice being all cold and unsettling. If I have to embody something I'd rather embody the cream and ice cream stuff and be cute like you."
And then there is a soft, pale from nowhere and everywhere. The place would maybe become pleasantly cool if it wasn't often like that in Civvy's realm. Every tub of ice cream in the Town refills, every warm drink gets a nice shot of cream. And Gala, Goddess of Ice, Cream, and Ice Cream is also a short cowgirl with curly while hair with little flecks of rainbow color, big yellow horns under her little red hat, and of course a set of cow-like legs under a pristine uniform top.
"Okay I know I felt that one."

Town

"Y-yeah. Yeah why not? If you're a heckin' *goddess*, then . . . you are *making* the rules, right?" Ber'ri . . . doesn't understand divinity much, but she figures if you're that powerful a being, you should probably be able to do easy things like 'look different'. Heck, she did it! And all she had was drugs!

But then- but then she got called cute, and gosh how quickly a blush overtook her cheeks. The blush was adorable and . . . purple-y gold?
"asdasdfasdfasdf t-t-tha- thank- sdfglj" Ber'ri, still somewhat blushing, turns away just a bit to just drown her thoughts in coffee, before blinking and turning back and- ". . . . yeah. Yeah you uh.
. . . we should find you a mirror."

[Naku's Home(?)]

This is certainly unsettling. But maybe it's Naku's ice vampire nature showing itself, possibly without her intent. Iknika could head for the front door, but her usual curiosity leads her to follow the tracks instead.

[Naku's Home(!)]

And that was absolutely and exactly what she should do!
The house is large, but the prints pace around the front, down the side, and then to the back. They lead to another, much much *shorter* path in the woods, that leads to a much, much smaller, far more comfortable, but still large *enough*, log cabin. It seems much much more lived in. It clearly had two floors, and a very decently large floorplan.

It even has one (1) Naku sitting on the roof, tossing small branches as sticks for a confused looking cat on the ground below. She threw another stick. The snow leopard tracked it as it flew through the air, then looked back up at Naku, expectantly, when it landed.
_{"I thought fetch was a common play tim-} Oh! Hello Iknika!" with that she just let herself slip off the roof, and land in front of her cabin with a *crunch* of snow.

Which is interesting, because there are _no_ other tracks around the house itself, or even on the roof where she had just been sitting. How did she get *up* there?
"Welcome.

It is a pleasure to have you."

[Keeper]

Town

Ber'ri's coffee should be extra good to drown things in now that it's been enhanced by the magical powers of the Goddess of Cream (and the other things). This is surely a good thing.
"A mirror?" Gala's hands drift up to her ears, which are long and suspiciously floppy like Ber'ri's. She asked to be cute in the same way, after all.
"O-oh. Um. I. Um. How is it?" she asks quietly, also blushing. Hers is normal color at least.

[Morty]

[Naku's Home(!)]

"Hi Naku!" Iknika gives an energetic wave. "Are you alright? And, um... I don't think I know your kitty's name yet."

[Mee]

Town

Ber'ri's coffee should be extra good to drown things in now that it's been enhanced by the magical powers of the Goddess of Cream (and the other things). This is surely a good thing.
"A mirror?" Gala's hands drift up to her ears, which are long and suspiciously floppy like Ber'ri's. She asked to be cute in the same way, after all.
"O-oh. Um. I. Um. How is it?" she asks quietly, also blushing. Hers is normal color at least.

Town

Oh no! This is, in fact, a bad thing! Ber'ri is lactose intolerant!
Or . . .
That's what she says.
. . .
It doesn't usually make one's shirt get tighter. And tighter. Especially around the bust . . . for some reason . . .
She puts her coffee down *very* quickly.
"Oh it-it-it-i- . . . it is really cute!! I- I promise. Y-you look great!"

[Naku's Home(!)]

"Hi Naku!" Iknika gives an energetic wave. "Are you alright? And, um... I don't think I know your kitty's name yet."

[Naku's Home]

"I hope you are well! Welcome to my house. I am quite all right, thank you! And yourself?

Oh, this is- . . . I should say." Naku almost seems to catch herself, seeming to reword entirely the sentence she was about to say. Probably to make it more accurate. "If you see any snow leopards around here, be it here at my house, or truly just about anywhere out in the realm -- they tend to prowl . . . -- that is Uncia." An odd way to say 'this catte's name is Uncia', for certain.

Uncia purrs happily at the introduction, and prowls over, looking for headpats, and making absolutely no impression in the snow as they do, happily purring all the while, as they close the distance to bap their head against Iknika, if she doesn't offer headpats quickly enough.

"Was the trip pleasant? Are you hungry? We cleaned out a guest room -- well. I cleaned out the guest room. Uncia watched -- if you wanted a place to put your things. And I know it is a little cool out here, if you want some tea to get started before we do anything?

Or did you want to just . . . jump in with both feet?"

[Keeper]

Town

”Oh, okay. That’s gooood to hear.” She claps a hand over her mouth as she finds herself mooing those long o’s.
”But um. Um. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
There does appear to be more things going on.

[Morty]

[Naku's Home]

Uncia need not fret, because Iknika will offer headpats immediately. The cat has her in their thrall. But something Naku said tugs at her attention...

"...does Uncia wander around a lot? You make it sound like I could run into them anywhere. Anyway, I don't mind sitting down and having tea before we start."

[Mee]

Town

”Oh, okay. That’s gooood to hear.” She claps a hand over her mouth as she finds herself mooing those long o’s.
”But um. Um. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
There does appear to be more things going on.

Town

Oh this is not good. She's out in public. She just drank milk. Her shirt is . . . about to explode some buttons . . .
And her new friend is transforming before her eyes.
If she had a nickel for every time a random bout of divine magic swept through her life to dramatically change and upturn the fundamental lifestyle of someone in her life in a transformative way that utterly re*wrote* somebody from the ground up, she would have two nickels. In the last week.
Which is odd that it's happened twice, is all.

"Y-yeah. . . . Yeah. Weeee . . . should go find somewhere quiet . . ."

[Naku's Home]

Uncia need not fret, because Iknika will offer headpats immediately. The cat has her in their thrall. But something Naku said tugs at her attention...

"...does Uncia wander around a lot? You make it sound like I could run into them anywhere. Anyway, I don't mind sitting down and having tea before we start."

[Naku's Home]

Uncia's *purrrrrrrr* is more of a primal force of happiness, as the big cat reverberates with the tones of happiness at those pat pat pats.

"Oh, yes. Yes quite a lot. Uncia has free reign of the Realm. They may not always opt to use that ability, but they . . .
Have a tendency to show up in the oddest of places, and they are quite sneaky on their feet. Wherever you may be in the realm, if you see a snow leopard; that is Uncia. They are the only one around here."
And with that, she opens the door to her cabin, and gestures Iknika lead the way, should she like. "But yes, I agree. Tea is a wise choice."

Her cabin is large enough, for the one person and one cat that live here. A large landing room at the entrance with a roaring fireplace, a couch, recliner, rocking chair. A large cat bed near the fireplace that looks utterly unused, while the couch is coated in shed white fur, a kitchen in the back, a hallway on the left wall, and a mirror on the right wall, each that led off to more rooms, and the place is . . .
Cozy. Nice.
Clearly hand made out of well smoothed logs, with several heavy blankets scattered around, though around the couch mostly. Pictures and paintings on the walls. Windows that gave a lovely view of the surrounding forest, and blizzard level snowfall that picked up the moment the front door shut. The wind whistles around the windows, but they hold firm, and the fireplace crackles happily.

The place is . . . cozy. Full of warm, comfortable colors, electric lights and lamps -- she even does have a tv over near the fireplace, which feels slightly out of place for Naku, admittedly --, and her sword hanging over the mantle of the fireplace. Her sword, now that Iknika can look at it while it's not worn *by* Naku -- Iknika may also realize that this is literally the first time she's seen Naku unarmed. She has *always* had her sword on hand before --, that the sword is *old*.
The leather of the grip is shiny from age and use. It has countless little scratches on the guard. The grip and pommel are simple, functional, efficient, and the leather binding the hilt is . . . slightly *off*. It's not 'traditional' leather. Though probably impossible to pin what creature it's actually from. The scabbard, hiding the blade of her katana, is just simple wood. It has more than its own shares of scratches, and places where the paint has, upon close inspection, clearly had to be reapplied. The metal pieces on the scabbard also do not match the metals of the blade in any way. They're *close*, but this is definitely not the first scabbard this sword has had.

But the cabin is nice, warm, well lit, and full of pleading little 'mrowls' from Uncia as he *begs* for food, pawing at the fridge weakly, like he's about to just waste away from never having been fed once in his entire life.
"I fed you this morning." Comes Naku's calm reply, pulling together supplies for making tea.

"What flavor tea would you like? I can offer a great selection of Mint, Chai, and . . . a few others. But I find mint quite warming after being out in the cold." She hesitated for a moment at the selection of tea, but it was a very brief moment. Maybe unnoticeable.
Uncia rams her knee with his head.
"No tea for the cats."
"MROOOWWRRRR"
_{"Uncia *please* we have guests-"}
Uncia falls back to looking up with big, pleading, wide, innocent little eyes. So unloved t.t
Naku just shakes her head and sighs slightly, but ruffles the fur on the top of her kitty's head.

[Keeper]

Town

Oh no. Gala can't really help herself but stare a little. Things seem to be happening. Is it her fault, or is stuff just really weird here?
"Oh-okay! Um. Do you know a place? Do you want to just go home? You said it was pretty close right? I don't know where anything is here." Normally Gala would love to take Ber'ri somewhere safe but this is her first time in this whole...realm!

[Morty]

[Naku's Home]

Uncia will, at least, find an ally in Iknika. The young goblin knight in training is quite happy to shower her in affection. She doesn't have a lot of experience with fluffy and friendly animals.

She studies Naku's sword closely for a second, but is pulled away from contemplating it by Naku's question.

"Uh... mint is fine. I haven't actually had much tea before. We've got stuff like tea, but actual tea is a surface thing. So I'll follow your lead."

[Mee]

Town

Oh no. Gala can't really help herself but stare a little. Things seem to be happening. Is it her fault, or is stuff just really weird here?
"Oh-okay! Um. Do you know a place? Do you want to just go home? You said it was pretty close right? I don't know where anything is here." Normally Gala would love to take Ber'ri somewhere safe but this is her first time in this whole...realm!

Town

Ber'ri *feels*, more than sees, the staring, and just kind of goes asdfasdfasdf.
"Y-yeah, my farm isn't too f-far from here. We could head that way if you want."

[Naku's Home]

Uncia will, at least, find an ally in Iknika. The young goblin knight in training is quite happy to shower her in affection. She doesn't have a lot of experience with fluffy and friendly animals.

She studies Naku's sword closely for a second, but is pulled away from contemplating it by Naku's question.

"Uh... mint is fine. I haven't actually had much tea before. We've got stuff like tea, but actual tea is a surface thing. So I'll follow your lead."

[Uncia's House; kindly and graciously allowing Naku to live there]

And goodness, that big, big kitty just stays practically glued to Iknika, as she moves and walks, Uncia just presses against her, basking in the attention.

"Wonderful~ Mint it is." Naku gets two cups of tea steeping, and then brings them both out to place them on the little coffee table near the couch and rocking chair. She then proceeds to sit in the rocking chair, and gestures that if she would like, Iknika is welcome to the couch.

And then she asks her first line of questioning.
"So, tell me, Iknika." Naku seems to be staring at the surface of her own tea, thoughts a million miles away from where the two sit. She's thinking, dwelling, contemplating, and debating. She has a plan in mind, for what comes next, but she wants to make sure that Iknika was on the same wavelength first.
"What do you . . . *expect*. This training to be?"

[Keeper]

Town

Gala nods and takes a somewhat daring step forward to gently take Ber'ri's hand and start heading in that direction (after slapping some money on the table to pay for their stuff).
"Okay. This seems uh. Does this happen often? Because I can get you home and then find my own way home if you'd like."
This seems like something kind of awkward for Ber'ri. Gala doesn't even notice that she's walking on hooves at the moment.

[Morty]

[Uncia's House; kindly and graciously allowing Naku to live there]

"I'm... not sure, really," Iknika admits, looking at her own tea, then at Naku again. "Lady Eschelle has been teaching me to fight. But I kind of expect your training to be about something else? More about what it means to be a knight. I've been taught that too, but you have more to tell me."

[Mee]

Town

Gala nods and takes a somewhat daring step forward to gently take Ber'ri's hand and start heading in that direction (after slapping some money on the table to pay for their stuff).
"Okay. This seems uh. Does this happen often? Because I can get you home and then find my own way home if you'd like."
This seems like something kind of awkward for Ber'ri. Gala doesn't even notice that she's walking on hooves at the moment.

Town

"Mmmmmore often than I'd like to admit." Ber'ri admits, blushing fairly deeply at that hand holding. Goodness. Scandalous.
"And no no, not at all. You can stay for a bit! I don't think anyone else is home right now. Mar'ri's at work, Kar'ri's off at the farmer's market, and I think was gonna be out a few days, needing to get more seed for the changing seasons, and Mom . . .
. . .
I'm sure it's fine.
T-that way." Ber'ri offers, as they leave town.

Fairly quickly, they find themselves on a dirt road, and at what is clearly a hand made wooden fence. Built strictly more to keep wandering cows -- of which several are around, munching and grazing happily on the fields of grass -- in, than to keep anybody out.
"Just. Um. Um.
D- . . .
Don't freak out, p-please." Well that's ominous.

[Uncia's House; kindly and graciously allowing Naku to live there]

"I'm... not sure, really," Iknika admits, looking at her own tea, then at Naku again. "Lady Eschelle has been teaching me to fight. But I kind of expect your training to be about something else? More about what it means to be a knight. I've been taught that too, but you have more to tell me."

[Uncia's House]

"Good!" Naku nods, hearing that answer, and sipping her own tea. "That is precisely what my intent was. I . . ." she pauses, to look at her left hand, and the crimson hued ice that made it. "I will gladly teach you tips. Tricks. Spar with you, if that is your wish -- I hardly wish for anything bad to befoul you when you finish, after all! -- but I . . .
I do crave the quiet life.

So you are correct." She says with a bit of a weary smile, looking back up at Iknika.
"The *why* you fight. The why you do *not* fight." Another slow, quiet, deliberate sip, before she asks her next question.

"Let us suppose, if we will. You have completed all your training, and are on a path in the forest. You come across a gaggle of, say, 20 poor, bedraggled serfs who are fleeing their lord with nothing but the robes on their backs.

And one of them jumps you with a knife. What do you do?" And, should she get some answer such as 'fight that one' of any sort, she would nod, and ask her real, *actual* first question of the day, that this was all just set up for.

"And then what?"