previously... Noriko’s Sidebar — Sister to Sister

[iantruesilver]

“Oh. I think that’s probably the Pyre then. I heard the Avertin twins talking about it this morning, something about the council wanting to revive the old traditions.” Sandru smiles in such a way that makes it easy to tell he’s happy deep down inside, and casually moves a little closer to wrap his arm around Noriko’s waist, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just told her to let you be you a little.”

 

In too short of a time the two find themselves in front of Goblin Squash Stables, its sign depicting a horse trampling a goblin underfoot.

[Wiz]

Noriko pauses a moment, and whispers something to Sandru.  As he releases her, they step up to the Goblin Squash Stables.  Going inside, she looks around slowly, her eyes adjusting to the dimmer interior, "Hello, the shop?"

[iantruesilver]

Noriko’s hesitation and minor choke up is understandable, as the scenery within is truly something of pure macabre. The stable’s interior permeates of equine sweat and dung, and while the visual surrounding is merely at the edge of gruesome for most humans, it may as well be the stuff of nightmares for goblinkind.

 

Inside the barely civilized looking front room, there are a couple of tables set up, with one obviously fashioned as a desk closer to the entrance. Along the walls line various pieces of saddling and equipment, mostly on shelves. There is a little bit of hay on the ground. Beyond that, the building literally backs up directly into a covered barn.

Over the doorway leading into the back is a grisly display, goblin ears by the scores are preserved and nailed to three different rafters, each one bearing some sort of scribbling burnt into its leathery flesh.

On one shelf along the back wall of the front room sits a large glass bottle filled with brine, preserving within it, the body of a goblin now deceased, who by the adornments on him, looks like he's seen better days.

 

[Wiz]

Noriko looks about the macabre setting and puts a hand before her mouth, trying desperately not to throw up.  "Um... hello?  Is anyone, not squashed and dead here?"  The young girl is reminded that even those she has told of her strange gift and curse which manifested the night her mother died, they never remember or realize what it is like for her.  Looking at the preserved corpses, she can see the spirits of the slain goblins moving within the remains of their physical forms as well as moving about the room.  For the most part, they are helpless, though as they get closer to her they might be tempted to petty revenges, since her power gives them a vague power to affect their surroundings.  Some hissing voices she can hear, no doubt speaking in goblin, which she doesn't understand grow loud enough, others might hear them.  Noriko isn't used to dealing with such a concentration of unsettled spirits in the middle of town.

Edited February 27, 2023 by Wiz (see edit history)

[iantruesilver]

To nary a one of these souls seem to be any peace within, each of them filled with a kind of dread and rage that could not sufficiently be described by words. Fragments of some morbid sounding chanting assails you in rhyme, though none of it seems coherent enough to make any sense.

“črirhe mi woohon!”

“goblénutu rrai!”

“ešme mi udun!”

The overwhelmingly chaotic and restless air of all these makes you feel sick and nauseous to your stomach, the gut wrenching sensation an unimaginable sensation of feeling physically ill.

 

The yammering turns to hissing and shrieking, and the urge to empty your stomach contents cranks up to eleven as a voice projects through from the barn at the back, “Wyell wyell wyell, look what the cat dragged ein.”

The voice is followed by the mug of a middle-aged man, with whom you’re familiar. This retired ranger, Daviren Hosk, is the owner of the Goblin Squash Stables, and has often provided security and manual labour around the Rusty Dragon, and in exchange, Ameiko has agreed to recommend his stable’s services and provide a complimentary drink on the house to any guest who stable their horse next door.

Edited February 27, 2023 by iantruesilver (see edit history)

[Wiz]

Noriko looks and sees Daviren.  The young girl does her best to keep from throwing up, or even showing that she feels like throwing up.  "Daviren... Ameiko sent me by, something I was supposed to pick up."  Her eyes can help following one ghost that hovers over it's jar and mimics squashing itself down into it's bottled head, it's eyes rolling at her mockingly.  Noriko takes out a cloth to wipe the sweat from her forhead, "They really don't like you very much."  The young girl can feel the spirits reaching through her backpack and rearranging things inside, so much for the careful packing she had done.

[iantruesilver]

“Wyell, hadja come in here and seyd wotchu just seyd outta the blue, I’d be sendin’ yiu right back nexdoor to ya sister askin’ er wot the heck is wot.” Daviren cocks his head in a gesture for Noriko to follow, as he turns towards the barn in the back, “Lucky for yiu lil’ girl, ‘Meiko came by erlier ‘n I already have dem horses all saddled up for ya.”

 

”Dey wot?” He stopped and turned mid-reaching for the reins of one horse, eyebrow raised above his one good eye, the other obscured behind an eyepatch.

[Wiz]

Noriko walks over preparing to take the reins of the horses, "The dead... that's why I hate coming in here, you have a lot of pissed-off goblin ghosts.  And they really don't like you, for obvious reasons."  The young girl holds out her hand.

[iantruesilver]

“Good.” There is a deadly serious bitterness that literally drops through his words when he makes his reply.

 

After handing Noriko the reins to the one horse, he goes to soothe another and coax it out of its stall as well, transferring the second animal’s lead to the Tian youth, “Wyell Ionno wot manner’a witchcraft gatchu all buddy buddy wit’dem deid anklebiters, but yiu can tell ol’ Whartus and his maggots over’dere dat the feelin’s mutual.”

[Wiz]

Noriko looks thoughtful, "I don't know exactly, but I've been reading up, and I think I'm what people call an Oracle.  It's definitely not witchraft... I think that would be more fun than this.  I don't speak goblin, but they are calling out things like: 'črirhe mi woohon!', 'goblénutu rrai!', and 'ešme mi udun!' - all of which sound gutteral and uncomplementary, so I think they understand that their feelings are reciprocated." 

The young girl takes the reins of both horses, "Thank you, and I'm sure you have your reasons for all of this... we all have a tragedy or two that shape how we deal with the world."

Edited February 27, 2023 by Wiz (see edit history)

[iantruesilver]

“Yiip dat much is obvious…” Daviren Hosk comments, but without providing any context after you’re admitting you do not speak goblin, and hearing you try to repeat some of the things you have heard.

 

”Wyell, even if yer wurkin’ fer the council an’ such, alls I ask is’sat yiu try’n keep mah horses in good condition fer when yeh get’em back.” Hosk pats the two as he moves ahead to open the barn door for you out back, “And if yeh come ‘cross any goblins, mah offer’s still open. I’ll pay yiu three gold fer every ear ya carve offa one. Double dat if yiu manage to figure out its name first.”

 

Standing at the now open barn door, he says, “Alright, off yiu go now.”

 

 

[[ Noriko gains Horse (heavy, combat trained) (2) ]]

Edited February 27, 2023 by iantruesilver (see edit history)

[Wiz]

Noriko nods and leads the two horses out of the stable, looking around for Sandru.  There is a thoughtful expression on her face, as well as a slightly sickened one.

[iantruesilver]

The back of the stables opens up to Mud Lane, right across from Wheen’s Wagons. To the left, the  back of the Rusty Dragoon Inn’s kitchen is wafting some delicious smells. Ahead of you, the short length of Cog Street ends as it takes you out to Prickleback Lane, and toward the right, Mud Lane transits out toward River Street before also being also terminated at the tee.

 

Just there at the tee between Mud Lane and River, Sandru is there, cooing and soothing his own horse as he waits.

[Wiz]

Noriko leads the two horses toward where Sandru is waiting in the street.  The young girl does her best to compose her face as she walks toward him.  "So, are we ready to take to the road and find all those eager beavers who got started on this quest?"

[iantruesilver]

“Heh, can you blame them? You did kind of take your sweet time.” Sandru takes the reins of the two horses from Noriko, then with a pair of hands at your waist he hefts her up so as to make it easy for her to mount his horse Lucy.

 

Once Noriko is settled on top of Lucy’s saddle, Sandru climbs up behind, and with the reins of all three in his hands, he gently urges them forward with a light flick and a barely perceptible inward tap of his heel on the stirrups.