"So, um, now that we're out of the building..."
"...where are we going, love?"
"Yes,"Cy piped up, trailing behind them in her newly discovered humanoid form, Where are we going?"
After scrambling out the window McKale had headed for the nearest road and started the group down that, feeling dashed odd mucking about in nothing but a robe and slippers, but he really didn't have much of a choice now, did he? Bally unthoughtful of him not to change into something more appropriate. At least Cy had been able to change her attire to something a little more befitting of the era.
"The village, of course, said McKale, scuffing his slippers clumsily over the dirt, Theres always villages near castles, after all. Makes things much easier to get, what?" Castles built in the middle of nowhere didn't last nearly as long as those built around villages or towns. McKale hiked up the end of his robes (Hush and Sakay having long ago shifted to his shoulders) to give himself a little better maneuverability.
Cy wrinkled her nose, And what do we do when we get there?"
"Well I, said McKale, carefully stepping over a particularly menacing looking rock, Need some proper clothes, for one. Then...then we should find someone who can help us fix the watch, what?"
"Sounds like a good idea to me, said one of the twins.
"Only one little problem, love..."
"...that sort of thing costs money, doesn't it?"
"And we don't really have any money..."
"...or anything at all, for that matter."
"Well that's,"McKale started, Well we can...oh, dash it all!" He kicked at the dirt, causing his slipper to slide out from under him, tossing him unceremoniously into the dirt,"Bugger!"
Cy rolled her eyes and pulled him to his feet, I knew this was stupid."
"Then why'd you come, darling?"
"You seemed quite eager while we were talking about it."
Cy frowned, shooting the twins a glare. Of course she'd sounded eager. She wanted to use that watch just as much as anyone else, and Shar was the only one so far that had been able to get his hands on it without McKale's knowledge. And he didn't let her do anything with it. Just...ran off and...oh.
Oh.
Cy was going to need some death energies soon, wasn't she? Bugger indeed.
"Well it doesn't matter, said McKale, brushing himself off, Were just going to have to make do the best we can. And look!" he brightened a little, grinning as they reached the top of a little bump in the road, Theres the village! See, I told you there'd be one!" He let out a triumphant cackle and hurried down the hill-ish bump. Cy shook her head and followed after him, frowning.
.:.:.::.:.:.
"Well...."said Sakay, smacking his lips, We could always steal."
"Or get a job."
"Or kill someone..."
"...and move into their house."
"Which is technically stealing..."
"...a little worse, but who pays attention to details anymore?"
After spending an hour wandering the little village, dragging their feet along tiredly, McKale and Cy finally agreed that no one was going to start throwing free anything it at them. In fact, the only thing they'd been getting were dirty looks, nervous glances and doors slammed in their faces. McKale was starting too feel awful hungry, having not eaten much for the past two days previous. He continuously caught himself calling for Jeffrey to fetch a morsel or two, earning a sharp look from Cy and giggles from the twins.
Finally, their feet burning and their stomachs twisting this way and that painfully, they collapsed against a building, exaughsted.
"I still say we going with stealing, said Sakay.
"Nothing can go wrong with stealing."
"And who wants to work?"
"Leave the menial laboring to the peasants, and all that."
"If you haven't noticed by now, snapped Cy,"We are peasants."
"Perhaps you are, darling..."
"...but Hush and I and prime specimens of the noble...thing."
"Quite."
"Perhaps Cy is right, sighed McKale, I mean, we won't have much luck stealing with us standing out the way we are, what? I need some clothes, and CY needs something to cover her eyes with."
Cy frowned, huffing.
"We won't have any more luck getting jobs,"said Hush.
"I mean, honestly, love, what useful skills do we have?"
"Well I can-"started McKale. He frowned, scrunching up his brow, I know how to.....oh."
"Precisely, love."
"So none of us has any useful skills, started Hush.
"And we can't very well steal, looking the way we are, said Sakay.
"And we're stuck here, for an indeterminable length of time..."
"...perhaps forever, unless we can find some way to fix the watch."
"So..."McKale rubbed his chin, Were just going to have to...sit here and fiddle with it until it works?"
"Works for me, said Sakay, grinning.
"Me too, added Hush.
"We can't just give up!" Cy rushed to her feet, throwing her arms in the air.
"We're not giving up, darling."
"We're going to sit here and fiddle with the watch until it works."
Cy rolled her eyes, Fine! You do that, I'm going to see if I can get us something to eat, she scowled at the three of them, Dont go anywhere."
The twins shot her a salute and a grin, and, with a growl, Cy turned, forcing her aching feet to carry her back into the streets.
.:.:.::.:.:.
Cy rapped her knuckles on a door. It cracked open, and half a face appeared in the light, What d'ye want?"
"Excuse me, she said, Im a weary traveler who's been wandering the nearby...woods...for quite some time, and I was wondering if you could, perhaps, spare a bite to eat?"
"No food here, said the peasant, slamming the door in her face.
God! Cy kicked the house as she passed it, storming across the winding, dirt street to the next one. This was useless! She wasn't getting anywhere with these people! They were either begging for food themselves or completely unrelenting to any stranger that passed through their little shanty. Cy couldn't stand it! How could Shar manage to well with...with everything, and here she couldn't even get food.
Not for McKale or the twins, at least. It would be dreadfully easy to get herself a quick meal.
She needed death energies.
The sound of thundering hooves caught her ears and she whipped around to see a brigade of black horses stampeding through the streets. Mounted on the back of each was an armored knight, sporting the ivory snake crescent she'd seen on the two tower guards. Quickly she slipped into the shadows of an alley, pressing herself against the wall there. All around her the peasants scurried to the sides of the buildings, and windows and doors cracked open just enough to let whomever was inside to see.
The first knight came to a stop directly beside her hiding place and pulled a rolled up scroll from his armor. He unraveled it, clearing his throat, The prince has set out a price on the heads of this man, he held up a roughly sketched image of McKale,"100 gold pieces for whomever returns him, or his parrots, to your beloved leader." The knight urged his horse toward Cy's hiding place, stopping at the edge of the building. He dismounted, producing a hammer and nail, and stuck the parchment to the building. With that, he slapped his hands together and remounted his horse,"200 gold pieces to anyone who can do it within the next three days." With that, he spurred his horse into motion and he, and the others, turned and raced back down the road toward the castle.
The peasants began to gather around the picture.
Cy cursed, shrinking down into the form of the grey cat, and sped out of the alley way.
.:.:.::.:.:.
McKale and the twins near jumped out of their skin as Cy came speeding around the corner, tail puffed up and ears flattened back against her skull. She peered around the corner, making sure no one had followed her, and slipped back into her humanoid form, Were wanted."
"Well of course we are, darling..."
"...who wouldn't want us?"
"I mean we have a price on our heads!" Cy growled, Two hundred gold coins for the first person can find you, she stuck a finger under McKale's nose, And bring you to the prince."
"Oh. Oh bugger!" McKale gnawed his lip, Well, dash it all, we can't just stay here, then, can we?"
"Where are we going to go?" Cy buried her hands in her hair, What are we going to do?"
"We could go to the forest, darling..."
"...plenty of food there..."
"...we could build ourselves a little fire..."
"...until this thing blows over..."
"...fiddle with the watch while we're at it..."
"...what do you say, love?"
"Darling?"
McKale and Cy exchanged a glance. Would they be able to survive in a forest without any provisions? A city boy...girl....like McKale, who'd never had to work a day in his...her...life? Who never had to worry about making ends meet or putting food on the table? Would Cy, who barely had two months experience under her belt? Would the twins?
For all intensive purposes, the answer was no. But they couldn't very well survive wandering between alleys with no food, no water, and a mob of half-starved peasants after them.
"All right, said McKale,"Okay."
Cy nodded, How do we get there?"
McKale slid across the alley way and peered around the corner, You know that thing we've been doing that's worked so far?"
"What's that?" asked Sakay.
"Running, you mean?" added Hush.
McKale nodded, Yes...yes, that bit there, he clambered to his feet, brushing the dust from his robe and gathering it up in his arms, pulling it until it was over his knees. Sakay and Hush adjusted themselves on his shoulders, digging their little claws in his robe to keep them steady, I think that's what we should do."
Cy frowned, Wouldnt it be better to...sneak out?"
"Perhaps, perhaps, he slunk back against the corner, chancing another glance, But I don't have enough time for that, what?"
Cy's brow furrowed, No?"
McKale shook his head, jerking an arm toward the corner. Cy approached, peering around it. She jerked her head back quickly.
"I see."
McKale nodded.
"In that case, said Cy, quickly shifting her peasant-dress into a pair of trousers, Lets run."
They did, slipping out the alleyway moments before the peasant mob reached it.
.:.:.::.:.:.
Shar watched through saddened eyes as Jeffrey paced the living room floor, his hands tugging at his mussed hair, and then fruitlessly trying to smooth it back into a semblance of propriety. They had long since torn the house apart, looking for anything, everything that might help them. There was nothing though, and McKale, Cy, and the twins had been gone for over twenty four hours now. Shar had mentioned at one point that they hadn't even been gone long enough to call the people about a missing person yet. Jeffrey had retorted that the police wouldn't be able to find them, even if they had been gone long enough to send them after the group.
Shar slipped off the couch and padded into the living room to make a sandwich. Jeffrey hadn't eaten since being released from the hospital, and it wasn't helping him any. Despite the pains striding hurriedly caused by pulling his stitches, Jeffrey had slowed down or taken a break since they arrived. He was looking frayed, nervous, and entirely too out of sorts for Shar's liking.
Quickly, he slapped a piece of cheese and some mayonnaise between a couple slices of whole wheat and slipped it on top of a plate, turning back toward the living room and steeling himself to force it down Jeffrey's throat.
Surprisingly, Jeffrey skidded into the kitchen before Shar even had a chance to leave it. Shar opened his mouth to speak, but Jeffrey cut him off with a hand before reaching around to phone and smashing the receiver to his ear. He punched a few numbers and leaned back against the counter.
"Good evening, operator. I would like to speak to Wilbur Winquist, if you'd be so kind."
Shar dropped the plate, letting it clatter against the kitchen floor.
.:Jeffrey?:.
.:They've been gone for a day, Shar. McKale can not go without a chance of clothes or a cup of Earle grey for twenty-four hours:.
.:You think something's happened:.
.:I know something's happened:.
"Ah, good evening, Mr. Winquist. It would appear my employer had gotten hi- he- them self into a bit of trouble..."
Shar frowned and turned to the closet to retrieve the broom and dustpan. Nothing good would come of calling Winquist, they could do this themselves. But it was too late for that, now, wasn't it?