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Sigrun's back at it. Woke up early, drilled with Lux, checked the duty roster, then turned up at the Freehold Hollow to receive any additional orders for Drake's services. It being the case that the freehold is on a war footing, she's in her full armor, her shield nearby, and her weapon belt strapped about her hips. Presently she's relaxing, though, leaning back on a wooden chair, her feet kicked up onto a boulder, hands laced up over her stomach. The light of the mid day sun is gleaming off her helmet, though her eyes are closed at present. Catching a power nap in the midst of the Hue and Cry.
There is a new face in the Freehold Hollow. Well, new-old. A certain rag dolly looks around as she enters, and then she spots Sigrun. "Sigrun!" the familiar voice says happily. It's a cheerful soprano, even if it's hesitant, soft. The doll woman walks over to Sigrun and says, "What did... I get myself... into this time?" And holds her arms open for a hug.
Sigrun's left eye dares to open and squints up at Nattie. She will have to forgive Sigrun for not immediately believing her eyes upon first waking. Then she startles, wheels her arms about in a circle, and falls directly backwards out of her chair and onto her back. Undeterred, she springs up to her feet with such a jerk that her helmet is left on the ground, but it ends with Sigrun hugging the doll in question quite forcefully. Squish! "When did you arrive!? You should have called ahead, we'd have come to meet you!"
"I didn't... know y'all... were here." Nathania laughs, hugging Sigrun with all the strength her little body can muster. It's not a lot. "I just... blew into town... yesterday." She's a little breathless from the force of Sigrun's hug, but seems unperturbed. For some reason, she's used to this... "I was wandering... for reasons. Got interested in Philly." Her eyes are bright. "Glad I stopped. Shackamaxon is gonna... need me."
Ros and Elio came in from the Hedgeside door, for once she was walking and Elio was loaded up with haphazard bits scavenged from the thorns. Footlong thorns, long lengths of woody material that had streaks of silver and gold woven in the grain of the wood, and more. Rosalyn herself was dressed in her leather armor and had her golden hair bound up in a braid and covered by a hood so the metallic gleam couldn't give her away at a distance.
"Yeah, from Vermont we headed to Miami, and then back up to Philly. Same old story. Teagan says we're here to stay now, but I dunno how that will all work out. Seems my life is always for wandering." Sigrun releases the thoroughly squished Dolly, but not before adding a smooch to her cheek. "Everyone will be so happy to see you again. We picked up two new members, too, since last you knew us. Sturm and Laura. Laura from Miami, Sturm from here in Philly. I'm sure you'll get to meet everyone-- oh!" Sigrun turns to gesture towards Rosalyn, "This is Rosalyn Solfrig and her unicorn, Elio. He and my Frygg are friends. Ros, come meet Nathania. One of our friends from Vermont."
Beaming, Nathania waves to Rosalyn. "Hi. Call... me Nat or Nattie," she invites, her cheerful smile infectious.
She smiled and headed over. "How is Frygg doing?" she asked warmly as she began unloading the panniers and removing Elio's tack. "And pleasure to meet you, Nattie, welcome to Philadelphia." Elio turned to eye Nat with interest and stepped closer to wuffle her hair gently in a friendly greeting.
"Frygg is well. I'm trying to rest her today. I rode the poor girl ragged yesterday, and I figure I'll need her before all of this is finished. Been walking everywhere today." Sigrun bends to set her chair upright, then sinks back down into it with a sigh, leaning to the side to fetch her helmet from the dirt and return it atop her noggin. "Once this is all over, Ros, I have a proposition for you. A project I'm working on that I think you'd be uniquely suited for."
Nathania laughs at the wuffle, delighted, before smiling at Rosalyn. "It's... wonderful to meet you." Then she looks back at Sigrun. "I'm... all over. Been everywhere, it... feels like. But. Sounds like y'all... are in the middle of... a Hue and Cry." She moves to sit in the dirt, careless of her jeans getting dusty.
Elio dropped down after her, carefully maneuvering the very long and sharp horn so he could lay his head in her lap. Was that dried blood in the spiraling groove of the horn? Ros rolled her eyes at the antics, but seemed amused and set to work sorting out her hedge flotsam. "A project? Color me intrigued! What do you have in mind?"
Sigrun doesn't mind at all. She commences to pet Elio's highly deserving head, and even uses her thumbnail to clean some of the blood off his horn so it can be nice and shiny again. She uses her fingers to comb out his mane a little, soothing the big baby in the process. "We are in a Hue and Cry. I can't really discuss the particulars until and unless you swear in, but suffice it's a local issue at the moment and nothing to do with any of the other freeholds that we know of." Sigrun answers Rosalyn with a small nod of the head, "I've been working with Mearcstapa of the Autumn Court. He's been referencing the freehold's records and such in an effort to find us historic ties to different Hob villages, and to identify others we've never had alliances with. I want to get out there, meet these groups, and bring them back under the wing of the freehold. The best eyes and ears out there in the thorns is the hob. You know? And if we can use them as our early warning system, or get them to bring in escapees before the briarwolves get to them, then that's so much the better for us."
Nat nods, content with this answer, as she smiles at Elio's cuteness. The Winter then goes quiet, thoughtful. Listening. She knows no one so she just absorbs, as a dolly do. Even pulling out her knitting from her messenger bag and getting to work on some bright red socks, eyeing Sigrun's feet not at ALL in a way that's subtle. "I already joined, but that's okay. You... know how I absorb.. things."
Ros grimmaced, but nodded. "It would be a good idea to recruit the hobs," she agreed. "Better than leaving them to recruited as enemies by any who wish us ill. I'll be happy to help." She glanced over to Nat and smiled. "I'm glad you've chosen to join us. I think your court could use the emotional boost a new member can provide, all considered." Ros studied the enormous Thorn and compared it to the long length of metallic wood. "What do you think? I can spin the thorn longer and it has a... hmm... deadly aspect to it? But this piece is stronger. It was a beast to chop off."
"Depends on what you're making with it, I guess, Ros. Both have their ups and downs, I guess." Sigrun continues doting on Elio as is her rite and custom, going so far as to fish some of the fruit from her pouch and slip Elio a slice of apple. "I was thinking of reaching out to Charlie. Everyone says she's the Hob Whisperer. And that's just the sort of person we need to pull this off. I was considering looping in Ianthe, too. She's good in the hedge, too." Sigrun then tilts her head back to Nathania, "Well, in that case? I'd go speak with Sturm or Lux. They're Winter, too, and they're the ones that know the most about it all. I'm sure they're not telling us everything. Suffice, a member of Winter turned out to be a Bridge Burner and tried to kill Lux. Some other stuff besides."
Nattie smiles at Rosalyn. "I'm fairly... Springy, for ... a Winter." Her eyes are bright, though, expression cheerful. "I heal... a lot. But Sorrow is at.... my core." Then she blinks, repeatedly, at Sigrun, her button eyes going from slate four-holed buttons to black shanks and back. "Excuse me?" Offended to her very essence. "I... really need to find... these people. Let me... leave a note." And she rummages in her messenger bag for a piece of paper and a pen.
Her lips twitched in amusement but she decided not to voice it. "I, ah, I'm making a new bow. I was planning on having someone else do it but with all that's going on I thought I should just do it myself. I'm capable, it's just not my favorite task in the world."
"You could try weaving both together, in that case. Best of both worlds in that regard. There's no rule against mixing and matching that I'm aware of. Heck, I alloy metal a lot in the forge. Same idea, right?" Not really, but the thought is nice. She glances aside at Nathania with the fondness one reserves for regarding ragdolls. Sweet as a literal button, that Nattie. "I can make introductions to both, if needs be. Sturm lives with us."
"I'd like that." Nat smiles up at Sigrun. "But I'm... still going to leave... a note."
"Sturm is quite impressive- very talented in a variety of departments, and Lux seems to know everyone," she said agreeably. "Forging the two together, hmm... That's a good idea. Strong and deadly. I do need a better weight than my current bow has- it really is too light." Ros picked up both the thorn and the stick, then planted them in the ground next to each other and scowled.
"Leaving a note is wise, yes. I'll let you know where we're staying, too, in case you'd like to drop by for a visit. I just refinished the basement with Sturm's help, so we've got a guest room now, and everything." Sigrun gives Elio a 'that's enough for now' pat pat, rises up from her seat, and heads over to where Ros has set up her thorns, watching them with curiosity and interest. "I've been meaning to juice up Sigsverd similarly. But I'm holding off until she draws blood. Which hasn't happened yet, hilariously."
The doll, ever-stubborn yet still sweet, smiles up at Sigrun. "So. Tell me. What... have I missed?" Her eyes go a little misty. "I assume... Glitch... is with you." She glances to Rosalyn. "Those are... good traits in Winters." Her tone is approving of the two spoken of. Her eyes flit back to Sigrun. "I do need... a place to stay." She finishes the note and considers it.
Elio huffed unhappily at his fawning admirer escaping to tend to less important duties and turned to eye the other Fairest who hadn't get been graced with his immediate presence. He got up, only to sit next to Nat and leaned ever so gently. Not enough to crush her but enough to make it difficult for her to escape like Sigrun had. "You should come out hunting with Elio and I sometime then. He prefers his dinner fresh-caught when possible." Ros pulled a water bottle out and watered the plants, then drew a knife lightly over the back of her arm to make a shallow cut and sprinkles the blood onto the earth.
As the three talk, Ianthe enters from the Trod, dressed in chainmail with a sword slung at her side and shield across her back. "Morning, Sigrún, Ros. New person. Mind if I join you?"
"I don't mind at all. I was just talking about you actually, Ianthe. The new person is actually an old friend of mine, Nathania. Call her Nattie. She's with the Winter Court, and a very excellent healer." Sigrun gestures to the dolly in question. "And, yeah! Glitch is still with us. He's doing much better than when you last came across him, I think. Health wise, I mean. You should catch up, I'm sure he'd love to see you." She then looks back to Rosalyn's work, "I'd love to go hunting. My duties right now, of course, keep me fairly close to home, sadly. I'm sure we'll get the chance if you join me in my plans."
Nat smiles. "Nice... To meet you," she says to Ianthe. Then she glances to Sigrun. " I'm glad to hear it! " She pets the unicorn happily.
"Well right now is a bit difficult for all of us," Ros sighed, them smiled to the archer. "Please do! How are you doing, Ianthe?" Slowly, but significantly faster than any mundane plants, the two plant cuttings put down roots and the long thorn began to grow taller while tiny thorns sprouted down the length. They pierced the metallic wood while the metal imbued wood began to thicken and grow around the thorn, melding the two into a singular plant.
"Nice to meet you too, Natty," Ianthe says, returning the smile. Which promptly fades into a grimace at Rosalyn's question. "Well enough, given the circumstances, I suppose. At least they didn't come at the worst possible time for my Ironside job, since everyone there is busy with the end-of-year tests."
"I'm having to turn down work, myself. My agent's pissed." Sigrun sighs longsufferingly at that. "I tell you, it'd be nice to be on a set in Iceland or the like right now. Waiting for people to leap out of the shadows with iron knives is a real big buzzkill." Sigrun watches the progress with the thorns approvingly, giving Rosalyn a pat on the shoulder when the work is done. "Be mindful. With iron in the mix, bringing hedgespun and token equipment into the fray might not be the best idea. I switched back to my old shield, in fact." She gestures over to her old trefoil painted round shield near her chair. She then glances back to Ianthe, "I've got an idea I'm working on that you might be interested in."
"The advantage of a bow is that I'm at a distance... hopefully. I'm not a hand to hand fighter, that's Elio's job." She smiled faintly. "Swords and shields are meant to take a strike, bow's aren't! I do have a mundane machete I carry for when I need the choppy-choppy. This is a good start, though... I still think it needs a bit more something before I shape a bow from it." She frowned, then her expression lit with an idea and she plucked a strand of gold wire hair from her head and began shaping it in a decorative art nouveau style around the new plant.
"Oh? What kind of idea?" Ianthe seems genuinely curious as she glances at Sigrún. "I never thought I'd be glad all my gear is mundane stuff, honestly." Her attention turns to Rosalyn, then. "True enough, but if we're fighting a traitor cowardly enough to use iron against us, things that can take a strike are better. I prefer archery myself, but needs must."
"I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention the risks, Ros. That's all." Sigrun backs away from Rosalyn's work to step over closer to Ianthe, hands folding up on the hilt of her sword. "Yeah, same. Well. With the exception of the shield, anyway. I may have to make two sets of gear for myself if I end up spinning up my gear. Anyway. I've been working with Mearcstapa. We're trying to uncover the various hob villages and groups around us. Ones we've had ties with in the past, and those we don't know. Loop in Charlie of Winter who everyone says is a hob whisperer. Then sortie out, make contact, and begin working to bring them in line with us. Oathed for information sharing and the like. Willing to bring in escapees and tip us off about it. Stuff like that. I'm tired of coming across bodies and hedge ghosts out there."
Nathania is silent, knitting, absorbing info as she works on bright red socks for Sigrun.
Elio kept encroaching on Nat's personal space, even trying to take a mischievous nip at the knitting if Nat wasn't fast enough to pull it out of his reach. Ros nodded to herself. "That should train the plant to carry the motif as it grows," she muttered to herself, then sat back to let the plant do its thing while she sat next to Nat and watched her knit. "How long have you been out?" She asked softly as she absently started braiding Elio's mane.
"...that seems like a good plan," Ianthe admits, nodding at Sigrún. "I know Charlie, yeah. Gave her and her girlfriend an archery lesson a few weeks back. Didn't realise she was a hob whisperer, though." Rosalyn gets a glance, then. "Me? Since 2013, but I only moved here a few months back. Got sick and tired of the assholes in LA." Beat. "Unless you mean the other definition of out, in which case it differs."
"I don't know Charlie, just everyone's pointing me to her since I brought up the idea. 'Go talk to Charlie, she's a hob whisperer'. I thought I was pretty good with them, but apparently she's got the touch. So. I figure gather up some people who are willing to brave the thorns and get Charlie in front of the Hobs and let her do her thing. It will take a lot of time and work, but it will make things a lot safer around here if we can pull it off." Sigrun glances back to Nathania and Elio, chuckling at the beast's continued antics. "Elio, you don't eat socks, you silly."
"Golly. 8 years... now?" Nat says to Ros, dodging Elio as she talks. She smiles at Ianthe. "A little less... long than... me then." Friendly. It's never a competitive thing. "Good. Everyone should... Be free." She gets a few texts. She's careful in answering them, leaving her knitting out of Elio's reach. She nods agreement with Sigrun. "I should knit... For Elio. I don't know what."
Ros laughed. "He is just being an attention hog. Though when it comes to those of us who aren't Fairest... well, he's more likely to take a bite of them than their knitting. So long though... It seems like an eternity. I've only been out for a few weeks."
"I'll introduce you to her, then. Once the traitor is dealt with, likely. One thing at a time, and whatnot." Ianthe sighs. "Well, I'm safe around him, then, even if not everyone is."
"Yeah. I've basically moved my whole life to the backburner. Again. I do that a lot. It's not so bad, though. I'm meeting a lot of people playing Drake's people skills for him." Sigrun shrugs her shoulders, then heads on back to Elio to try and distract him from bugging Nathania when she's trying to knit. "Come here you big hairy jerk. I have apples." She fishes out another slice from her pouch to entice him.
Nat smiles at Sigrun. "Do you... need to talk... about that?" she asks softly of her friend, before grinning. "Thanks." Her eyes bright, she gets back to knitting after petting Elio thoroughly.
The traitor jumped up from Ros and Nat's own ministrations to clamber after Sigrun and her apples. She snorted. "Glutton!" She teased. "Just how many people are gearing up through your services right now?" Ros asked curiously.
"And do you need any help with it? I'm only a mediocre crafter, but I can crank out wire and the like, if that's needed."
"Six, I believe, so far. Seven, maybe. Room for more, yet. Drake's a bit of a recluse, but he's apparently an exceptionally gifted crafter. I've only met him very briefly, when I'm dropping off supplies for him. I gave him some of my briarwolf bits to help with the project." Sigrun popped her fruit into Elio's mouth and resumed petting him to give both owner and artist a break. "If Drake becomes backed up, I might need help with taking on the extra orders. But he's yet to complain about the load. Spreading the word, I suppose, would be good. Or letting us know if you need any work done for your own kit. We're on a limited budget, unfortunately. That'd be where we need the most help, but it's not as though our community tends to be particularly wealthy."
"I can donate...a bit of money. But I'm not as strong as... I used to be." Nattie frowns a little. "I'll donate... twice; once for... my own armor, and once... for someone else's, if I can get armor for a weak... person." Her smile to Sigrun is fond. "However, I'd prefer your.... work. No offense to Drake." Winter paranoia at its finest, really.
There's the sound of soft footsteps approaching, and Glitch makes his way through the Freehold Hollow. His hair's nicely styled, he's dressed in his snazzy street clothes with his now-signature black and white letterman jacket, shades on, hands in pockets. "Not a good time to ask you for a Sword?" he beeps out, right before he turns his head to look at the other people, then does a double-take at Nathania so hard he almost falls over.
"Princess."
"And I'm fine on equipment." She nodded towards the growing hybrid plant. "And can upgrade my own weapons as necessary. I'm a skirmisher, and heavy armor would slow me down more than help. Elio has his own heavy armor."
"I'm not the richest either, but I can chip in for materials." Ianthe offers, glancing at Glitch and raising an eyebrow at his behaviour. "My armour's good enough for now, too, honestly. Learning to fight in plate sounds more trouble than it's worth, in this situation."
"I got you, doll. Don't worry," Sigrun assures Nathania, "I just need to find the time to be in the shop. I've got two watch shifts and the need to sleep. Plus chores at the house. So I'm robbing sleep to pay Peter and Paul, right now." Sigrun bounces up and down on her feet to demonstrate that her armor isn't actually cumbersome on her, "I can produce some pretty good alternatives to plate armor that are more mobile and flexible. Depends on the wearer, though, and what their style is like." Sigrun can only agree with Ianthe, "Yeah, I can't imagine you slogging around in Sturm's kit, for sure." Glitch's question has her shaking her head sadly, "Yeah, I had to put Teagan's knife off, even. Made Lux armor and a parrying dagger, since they were attacked and nearly killed. Been working with Drake since then. Or, more to the point, writing things down for Drake. He works alone."
Nat's face lights up at that familiar beeping. She drops her knitting--actually DROPS the needles and bright red yarn on the ground, not caring if Elio is nearby--and flings her plush body at Glitch. "My... hero." Her arms around his waist, she clings, snuggling into her ex? estranged? not lived-with-but-still adored, anyway, husband. A few tears are shed--less fluffy than they used to be, because Nat feels and looks much less high Wyrd than Glitch last saw her. "I.. missed you." She says there, kneeling, her arms around his waist and her face pressed against his belly to hide her tears. Seems like a bit of an understatement, missing Glitch, ragdolly. She barely hears or sees anything else. Everything, right now, is pixelsprite.
Glitch takes a few steps forward, opens his arms, and tugs Nat into a hug so tight it looks uncomfortable, his fingers dimpling into her slightly less fluffy and fabricky skin. His shades hide whether he shares her tears but he embraces her and drops his face down to her shoulder, clutching her tight. "Nattie. Holy shit. I'm so glad you're okay." He leans back to regard her and kisses her forehead, loosening his grip so she can step back. "Are you okay? Is Briar okay? Is anyone else with you? Are you staying in Philly?"
Elio seemed much more inclined to chew on Glitch than the knitting. The unicorn gave the elemental an evil look, but Sigrun's apples distracted him. Better an apple in the mouth than the elemental in the bush so to speak- even if he was holding Nat. Ros drifted closer and wrapped a hand in his mane, just in case. "Be good," she hissed softly.
"Yeah, Sturm's kit is impressive, but... I'm an archer, primarily. I can stand in a shieldwall just like any other Summer, if I'm needed to, but it's not what I'm best at." Ianthe glances between Nathania and Glitch. "They know each other well, then?" She asides to Sigrún.
Sigrun scratches her chin under her helmet and clears her throat a bit, "Yeah, uh. You could say that." She might have forgotten precisely how close these two were, in point of fact. The hissing at Elio wins Rosalyn a tight smile that's trying to contain laughter. Poor Ros. "You could probably pull off the armor I use, though, Ianthe. Or a similar design, anyway. But, yeah. Sticking to the rear and winnowing down the enemy generally works better without a ton of plate armor involved."
Nat laughs softly. "No one... is with me. Briar's... okay. I'm staying." She looks up and tugs off his shades. How rude. "We'll... talk later." But she stays close, snuggling up if he'll let her. Dolly missed her hero.
Glitch doesn't react to his shades being pulled off. The Sprite's eyes have lost their color, irises a deep pixellated black against his whites, but it's him. He stares face to face with her and tugs her close as she snuggles again. "We'll talk whenever you want." He looks up to Sigrun and the others a bit awkwardly. "Nat's..."
There's another look at her, as he seemingly remembers how Winter she is. "Nat's capable of uh, explaining things however she wants." A decent save.
Ros just looked at him with amusement. "But of course," she said blandly. "Sigrun, do you mind if I leave my little sprout in your care for a short time? I've got a few things to take care of and it needs time to mature."
"Nat's a Winter, then?" Ianthe seems more amused by the evasion than anything, as she glances at Rosalyn. "Have fun with your errands."
"That's fine," Sigrun assures Rosalyn, "I'll be here for a while yet, and I can post some ropes around it to make sure nobody get the idea it's free for plucking. Or something that the bad guys dropped here, or the like. Go take care of what needs doing." Sigrun offers Rosalyn a lazy salute, then dusts off her hands to head off to one of the gear cabins to see about fetching some rope and stakes to do just that. Sigrun just gives Glitch a smile as she passes him by, "No need to explain."
Nattie laughs, kissing Glitch's cheek. Nice save indeed. "This is... my ex. Estranged. I don't... know what we are. We were... married. Are? once upon...a time." She waves to Ros after tearing her eyes from Glitch's weird... Wyrd... gaze. She smiles a little, leaning into him. "I didn't... claim to be.... a good one." Her eyes sparkle. But she leans back and looks at Glitch again. "We really need to chat." Voice soft, warm.
Glitch nods and kisses her atop the head again. He doesn't challenge anything said, faintly nodding in confirmation at the vague words, and returns Sigrun's nod of recognition before turning back to the little ragdoll. "We can talk now. I don't...want to sit around for days wondering what the fuck's going on. Wherever you like. Or whenever. But...I got nothing to do right now."
He briefly glances at the unicorn, as if just now registering its presence, and the fact it is a unicorn.
Ianthe stands, then. "I'll let you two get to that, then, without anyone else around pressuring you."
"Thank you very much," she said sincerely, then jumped up on Elio bareback. "I won't be home too long. Maybe an hour or two. It was a pleasure to meet the rest of you!"
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