Spirits of the Earth

OOC: Tags to @Whim !

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Arca.

Ugh! If there was one thing she hated more than the itchy dress she was wearing and this inconvenient engagement to a certain Lord Hickenbottom (cause like geeze, what sort of name was that!? She so did NOT want to become Lady Hickenbottom!) But the bad name aside, she most certainly did not want to get married! Especially not now! And not to someone she never met!

Sure, she could say she wanted to marry for love, but realistically she had never much dwelled on marriage, nor love. In fact, growing up with all brothers and being treated to more of the freedom they were allowed over most young ladies in her position, had her frowning at the actual position her mother had wed into, and now what that meant for her.

It was called her 'duty' to honor her parents decision, and that's what is expected of all ladies. Marriage by choice was a luxury for the lower class, because they did not marry for money, but other things. But those who were more prestigious deserved control of their legacy, and the idea of that stung at Angel's pride.

After living so long under her own rules and stubborn, near wild behavior, she wasn't used to this collar she was about to wear, and itching at her frilly, lacy wedding dress, her mother gave a light slap to her arm.

"Stop itching, Angel, you'll snag your dress."

"Oh no, we wouldn't want that!" Angel went on with a sarcastic roll of her eyes.

"No, we don't," her mother clucked. "Besides.." and here, she sighed and smiled at her daughter's reflection in the mirror. "You look beautiful. Just as I did on my wedding day.." she went on, delicately fixing a flower that was askew in her hair. Then, smoothing down her long veil, that went from her head, cascading down her shoulders and laying in a wake of lace past her dress's bustle, she then rested her hands on Angel's shoulder before giving her cheek a quick kiss.

And at that, Angel made a face, rubbing off the lipstick she imprinted. It only made her smile all the more.
"Sorry," she went on, blinking past tears in her eyes. And as Angel continued to rub at the lipstick smudge, she looked at her mother in the mirror before turning to her with an exasperated expression.

"Are you crying?" And she removed her mother's hand from her face where she was brushing back a few tears. "For real?"

Yanking back her hand, her mother sighed and smiled while shaking her head.
"Can't a mother be happy for her only daughter? This is a big day and I.."
And soon she was having trouble taking, apologizing as she tried to brush more tears away.

Angel, sighing, moved to pull the kerchief she had stashed between her chest and handed it to her mother.
"Here."

And her mother took it graciously, and blew her nose loudly into it after dabbing away her tears. Holding the kerchief to her chest, she continued to admire her daughter, which made Angel shift uncomfortably.

"Mom, please.." she said, brushing away her mother's oncoming hand as she had tried to fuss over her daughter's attire yet again. "Look... you got me here already, haven't you? Can I at least have a few minutes to myself? I feel like i'm going to scream, as if I'm being suffocated or something."

"Oh, that's just your nerves dear!" Her mother assured her, finding more tears streaming from her eyes. Angel wasn't sure there were enough kerchiefs in the world to help clean up her mother's messy tears, but held back any comments. She already gave her mother a hard enough time, and thoughs he felt guilty for having her cry over her aversion to this, she felt even more awkward now that her mother was crying out of joy.

But eventually her mother conceded, and Angel found herself left alone in the room. Flopping down onto the nearby sette, her gown poofed around her like an ivory cloud, and as she noticed her reflection in the mirror, she scowled at it, and began to make goofy faces. That was, until the bells began to ring, and ring to the tune of marriage.

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OOC: I'm going to stop right there, but I intend to have Angel try to make an escape, but to make this post more digestible, I figured to stop here and I'll pick up to her 'escape' in the next post so feel free to introduce your character to the city now in whatever means you'd like :D
I'm still leaning towards Angel scaling downt he wall or sliding down some rope or something and doing an epic sort of get away, poofy dress and all!

Arca was a sight for sore eyes. Ewan had traveled for weeks since the alchemy-gone-wrong obliterated his home, and turned him from a grown man into a scrawny boy. He traded the remnants of his possessions for food, and a wagon-ride from Cerenis to Arca. Now his clothes were threadbare and filthy, his supplies were starting to spoil, he had a very large and very hungry wolfhound as a companion. The guards barely paid him notice as he and Shaggy slipped through the gates. Ewan still wasn't accustomed to going barefoot. He cringed with each step through the muddy streets, made narrow and claustrophobic by the tall houses, and seas of enormous grown-ups. Adults.

He traveled all the way to Cerenis to illegally purchase some closely guarded alchemical formulae to catalyze his spell. It was a stupid idea. It all went wrong. Everyone he knew was in La'marri, La'marri was on the other side of the country, and a boy and a dog with no money can't travel far on their own. Ewan's growling stomach and sore feet pushed those thoughts from his mind.

A sleepy little tavern called the Last Drop came into view, just on the border of the city's cobled districts and the seedier outskirts. The inn was loud and smoky, and Shaggy whined when he had to wait outdoors. Even if he was a boy again, Ewan was too old to expect any charity. Shyly, he padded up to the bar where a burly youth dispensed drinks. He had to climb one of the stools to get attention.

"I don't suppose you need any, um, any help? I haven't money for room and board and-"

"Ain't a charity, boy, and just what could you do for us?" the barman tisked in annoyance. The man was roughly Ewan's former age, and a lackwitted commoner at that, but the boy's confidence quickly dissolved.

"I-I could help clean? Or I can even cook some? I'll work HARD, I promise. M-my dog could hunt rats or—"he began to babble a list of other nonsensical suggestions. He backed away in defeat when the barman was appearing to have none of it.

The man's express softened, "Look, boy, muck the stable and you can have the loft for the night. And when you're done," he added with suspicious emphasis, "whatever remains of the kitchens."

Ewan again wished he had shoes when the man took him to the stable behind the little inn. He'd never cleaned a stable before, but it seemed simple enough and he nodded eagerly as the man, Gawain, explained it. The chore was a lot harder and a lot more unpleasant and he sweating by the time he finished laying fresh straw, and dealt with the mess of half-a-dozen animals. Gawain returned later in the evening with the cold remnants of stew and a bone with scraps of meat clinging to it. Shaggy yipped expectantly as the boy raised the bone to his lips, prompting a groan, "Fine, FINE, it's yours..." he passed the bone to his traveling companion, and drank down the stew and soggy vegetables.

The straw bed he was given was prickly, but no worse than what camping in the woods offered. The boy was soon fast asleep, and woke the next morning to the sound of wedding bells...

She was draped in a way she could see the window open, and with each echoing toll of the bell, she felt the walls moving in closer, and her palms warming with sweat. Peering over at herself in the mirror, and accessing how ridiculous she appeared in lace, fresh flowers, and ivory- she heard the creak of foot steps approaching in the hall.

"Angel?"

It was her mother.

"It's time."

Panicked, Angel froze where she was, before leaping to her feet and feeling her heart hammering. As the door knob turned, she backed away, and felt her hip hit a nearby table. Turning, she barely had a chance to grab the vase of fresh flowers before they toppled. But at the sight of her mother coming in, she dropped the vase, and the porcelain shattered, and the water spread, dragging the flowers into a chaotic heap.

"Angel? Honey, really, this is not the time to be fooling around."

Angel cringed. She felt trapped, uncertain what to do, and despite her legs feeling useless, she found herself soon being guided from her little tower down the winding stairs and towards the church. And at the sight of so many people, she felt her heart leap into her throat, nearly choking her. And then she felt her mother's comforting squeeze on her arm, her father soon joining them and the church exploding with music as she was walking down the aisle. But the second she saw her husband to be, grinning from ear to ear with his hair, greased and slicked back and shinning with the reflection from the church candles, was enough to make her panic.

And somehow she made it all the way to the end of the pews where her groom stood, and numbly, she stood before him, hearing people whispering at how beautiful she looked with those flowers in her hair, and woven into her dress too! nd her eyes began to scan the crowd, the voice of the priest becoming lost to her- And by the time she was asked a question, the priest found herself repeating it.

"Angela Lovette.... Do you?"

Gulping, she turned away, going pale as she looked from priest to groom-

And soon she was moving away, very, very far away and as fast as her legs could carry her. There were gasps as the bride rushed down between the pews and bolted out the door. And it wasn't until the bride was in the streets did someone yell, "Catch her! Catch that bride!"

Ewan stirred to the sound of church-bells. He slept better than he thought he would on a bed of straw. Probably, he realized, because Shaggy had curled around him. He rolled to his feet, making a wretching nose as he brushed stray bits of shedded fur from his clothing. "Ugh! You could've asked first!" he pouted, narrowing his gaze at the dog, who yawned lazily in reply. He guiltily acknowledged Shaggy was much warmer than a threadbare blanket, but still an unwashed dog.

The boy set about feeding and watering the half-dozen animals as instructed. Drawing water from a well was hard with his small body, but the dull ache in his muscles was oddly satisfying. It wasn't all that bad, really, and he'd earned food and shelter for another night... but how was he going to make it to La'marri like this?

Lugging the heavy bucket of water back to the stable, Ewan was nudging the door open when he heard shouting and frantic footfalls. The boy turned to see a panicked young woman, younger than he USED to be at least, dashing through the streets like a frightened animal. She looked about as comfortable in the frilly dress as he was shirtless, filthy, and barefoot.

"'You alright?" the waif asked, mixed curiosity and concern falling over his face. He still wasn't entirely used to his squeaky voice. It made him cringe.

The bride paused for but a moment, chest heaving with every breath against her confining, ivory dress. It had more frills than the king's crown, or so she felt, and looked down at the young child and his dog.

"Alright?" she laughed, but the sound was broken, and stopped abruptly at the sounds of people rushing out the door of the church. She moved to run, but turned to yell back at the child from over her shoulder, "Do me a favor and never get married kid. You'll regret it the moment you say I do." And soon she was disappearing, heading straight for the barn the boy had spent the night. And she made no hesitation in pushing open the door just enough to squeeze on past,and as she slipped within, her train lingered, and soon got caught on a nail. And a second later, there was a rip, and the woman in the ivory dress was gone, leaving nothing but a small, strip of her dress behind, waving lightly in the morning light.

And once inside the barn, Angel looked in every which way for the best hiding spot,- but when her eyes came upon a horse she got a better idea and was soon working on untying his rope. She was totally going to use this horse to make her get away. A horse, after all, had more legs than she and could offer a faster get away any day!

Ewan trudged behind her dog in tow, slowed by the bucket he was lugging along. The strip of cloth caught his eye as he neared the stable door. Not thinking much of it, he tore it down, and nudged his way inside. It was the girl again! The unhappy bride was... stealing a horse? He carefully positioned himself between her and the entrance, perhaps unwisely as she could surely trample right over him.

"I'm SUPPOSED to be looking after these horses, y'know. If I let you take that one they'll make me pay for it or-" he looked down at his threadbare clothes and blushed, realizing how stupid that sounded, "-well they'd throw me on the street or turn my bottom red. Not that I care to stick around here to mucking stalls forever."

He chewed his lip, turning suddenly pale. Was he being stupid? He wasn't a wizard confronting a little girl he could turn into a toad. He was a boy confronting a horse thief. If she was desperate enough to steal a horse, and she looked desperate, she might not think twice about keeping him quiet too! "Just who did you get stuck marrying, anyway?" he asked gently, trying not to alarm her as scritched Shaggy behind the ears. The dog made him feel safe, at least.

Angel gave a snort at the sight of the kid.
"You'll move aside if you know what's good for ya." And as she gave the reins a yank, the horse took a few steps outside of the stable. "And don't worry about my affairs." And she was quick to mount the horse as she hastily pulled up her train and bustle and bunched them up behind her on the saddle. "You're too young to understand. Now move aside before you get hurt."

"Wait!" the boy called out frantically, skipping back a step and raising his hands in hope she'd not trample him. A half-formed idea was coming to mind, and straight to his mouth before he could think it through. "I- I can help you! I gotta out of Arca, too, 'n back to my old school, but I don't got food or money. I'm NOT a stableboy! I'm- I'm a mage! Really!"

Granted, Ewan didn't know what he could do to help or entice her, yet. He looked up at the girl, taking a moment to gauge her reaction and regain his composure. "Everyone's gonna notice a girl in a dress like that anyway. You're not gonna get awful far unless you've got spare clothes under those frills."

Angel snorted, but the boy had a point. And even as desperate as she was, she wasn't heartless. Running over a kid wasn't exactly going to help her situation, but she jerked a thumb behind her before saying, "Get on the horse. We can run as far as the horse will take us. Or, if you prefer, I'll have to run you over. Your choice kid."

Well, it was now or never. The boy darted to the side of the horse and did his very best to scramble up the saddle. It didn't go very well at all. He was too short. Ewan awkwardly clawed at both the saddle and stirrups, and lace and frills of the rider's dress until he made it onto the animal. "Sorry! Sorry!" he gave her a look caught between an apologetic cringe and an impish smirk.  "So... we ride like the wind 'n out the gates? I- well I hope Shaggy can keep up," he cast a look down at the dog. He felt a pang of guilt.

Then came footfalls of a large man, or a small man in heavy boots. The stables adjoined the nearby inn. A portly rednosed man in a matching coat strode into view. "Who- that's my horse!" he bellowed.

"Quick!" the waif hissed, grabbing onto Angel's midsection. Ewan's heart was pounding and somewhere in the back of his mind it occurred to him this was a terrible plan. He should've been more level-headed and reminded her horse-thieves have much less freedom than young brides, or tried to steal clothes to disguise her, or anything.

(ooc: I hope I'm not moving too quickly with this scene. Let me know if you wanna slow things down!)

Once he was saddled, she gave him a smirk.
"To the gates and beyond." And about his dog, her grin only grew, and her confidence never once left her. "He'll keep up. If anything, an animal is always reliable." But their conversation was cut short when the man hollered. Angel cringed and clutched the reins.

"Hang on!" And with a sharp kick, the horse practically leaped into action, flying past the red nosed man and was out the door. Once on the streets, Angel.could see the crowd had just passed the barn, oblivious she had been there. So she was quick to direct the horse back the way she came and gave another sharp kick to its side and soon the pair were flying past the church and towards the small stone bridge that arched over the river. And it was only when she was nearly out of sight the search party saw the tail end of her dress and exclaimed.

"There she is! Follow that horse!"

But their words were lost as the horse rushed on, hooves thundering and the wind whipping through their hair. And Angel was almost laughing as they neared the end of town. It couldn't be this easy to run away from her own wedding... Could it?

Ewan held on for dear life as the horse went thundering through Arca's muddy streets and over the bridge. Shaggy was running alongside them, tongue lolling. He looked like he was having the time of his life chasing them, though that was probably true of him chasing anything. The mob wasn't far behind: a mixture of wedding guests, a horse-deprived man, and onlookers inclined to join in. Fortunately the gate was in sight! Two guardsman lazed in front of it. They might be able to make it... or the guards might see the commotion and bar the way.

The boy turned to his companion, "I wanna try something. Its a old spell, and I don't know if it'll work. So be careful!" The boy hadn't gotten any magic to work well since the accident, but they couldn't chance being trapped could they? And so he started to hum an old song, evidently one in the language of insects or so his master told him.

Meanwhile, a young guardsman was preparing to drop La'marri's western gate when he heard a buzz and a tickle in his ear. A mosquito? He swatted it with his gauntlet, striking true, but the hum of the insects only grew louder as a swarm seemed to appear out of the ether. Swatting the air, both guardsmen abandoned their post as the swarm grew too dense to ignore. The two fugitives however, barreled right through the swarm and cleared the gate.

The horse slowed to a trot as their pursuers were out of sight for the time being. Ewan would've been grinning ear to ear that it sort-of-worked if he wasn't busy spitting out bugs. He wanted it to be bees, but maybe mosquitoes were for the best. He looked over his shoulder and back to the disheveled bride. "Tho what'sth your-" he spit out another crumpled insect, whiping his mouth on his arm, "-so what's your name? I'm Ewan, by the way."

Angel was releasing more colorful words than a lady ought as the insect swarm clung partially to the pair as they plowed through it during their retreat. But once they crested the hill, made a turn at the fork and disappeared into the nearby woods, the horse slowed up and Angel was starting to shake the trapped mosquitoes from her garb.

And ugh, there just had to be one stuck there, as she ignored the boy's comment for a moment and said, "Hey kid, keep those eyes closed for just a second," and before he could protest, she basically mashed a hand over his eyes and used her other hand to open the front of her dress to release the damn mosquito tickling her boobs! Hopefully the boy didn't get a peak, but considering he was younger, perhaps it was time for him to learn female anatomy? He'd learn about it someday, anyway! Though she'd rather it not have been her!

So once her shirt was adjusted, she removed her sweaty hand from his face and tossed a look at him from over her shoulder.

"Angela Lovett, that's my name," she told him, matter of factly. "But most call me Angel. But don't let that nick name fool you, I'm anything but."And at suhc a comment, she gave a fluff to her hair, and fussed over the veil that was hang hanging out from her flower ladened locks.

The world went black as the girl clapped her fingers over his eyes, probably straightening her dress. "I wasn't gonna  peak! And what would I wanna look at YOU for, anyway?" he pouted indignantly, blushing. Being treated like a brat trying to catch glimpses of her naked was just humiliating. But he probably shouldn't have insulted her! "And sorry! I meant- I just meant you startled me. Sorry the bugs, also."

They'd made their way down a bumpy cobbled road along a stream, green with scum and algae from the rainy seasons. It hopefully wasn't well traveled. Tall grass and scrubby hedges obscured them from view. "I've never met an angel before. Maybe some DO steal horses?" he gave her an impish smirk "And now that we've stole one together I don't suppose you can tell me what sort of awful husband you're running from and where you're goin? I don't even know where we are now."

Angel shot him a look as she reassessed the child.
"Heh, that's right, you're still just a kid. And girls have cuties," she teased back. And when he apologized about the bug, she grew quiet and thoughtful.

"So you conjured them? Like.. with bug magic or somethin?"

And when he went on with his cheesy notion of Angels stealing horses she simply laughed.
"Well, now you can say you have! And as far as my husband to be... I'd rather forget him, and the whole wedding. I've already just made myself out to be a criminal. And disgracing my parents like that..." And though she felt guilty for it, in the same breath, it also made her feel alive.

"Anyways, don't worry about it. And as far as where we are, you needn't worry about that, too. Just know we're out of the city."
And far away from that church!

He cracked a tired smile at her teasing. "I SAID I was a wizard!" Ewan replied as haughtily as a small child could. "It was supposed to bees, anyway, but its a spell I learned in La'marri to call animal spirits 'n stuff." He looked down at the wolfhound trotting beside them; he must have some magic left to summon bugs and attract strange dogs. That was a good sign. Being a kid might not be so bad. Being an ordinary kid with no money and a dog as his only friend was what scared him.

"I'm not a kid. Well I guess I am one now" he sighed faintly "But I was a grown-up before I had an... accident. I wanna get to La'marri to see if my friends can fix me." He let that hang in the air as they walked. There was nothing but fields and scarecrows for miles and the odd raft drifting down stream.

The pair certainly turned the heads of more than a few teamsters drifting goods to the city... well, maybe not the boy.

"Ain't that the same as bug magic?" she retorted with a smug grin. "And don't get all sore on my kid, cause it looks like we'll be stuck together, like partners in crime." Though when he went on to explain his plight, Angel laughed- and loud.

"Good one kid. I had a wild imagination when I was your age. It made my parents quite mad, and that was the fun part of it. But don't think that'll work on me, alright? If we're to run away together, you have to be at least somewhat honest."

Cause asking a kid to be one hundred percent, even she knew, was impossible!

"Well I'm GONNA be sour if you don't believe me!" Ewan pouted in reply as she started laughing. It was a dumb idea to tell her anything about his problems. But she was right, he didn't have anyone but her at the moment, and wasn't going anywhere without her.

"How bout I do another spell? I'll- I'll grow a flower for you," the boy splayed fingers, tongue jutting from his mouth and concentrating on stamens and stepas, and were carpels just another name for pettles...? Soon enough a foul-smelling blob of moss, root, and detritus formed in his palm. It was supposed to be a tulip.

"Ugh!" he threw the slimey glob over a hedge with a sheepish expression. "Well, look! I AM a grown-up, and a wizard, and I ain't changing my story. Now where are we gonna go?"

"Yeah, yeah, grown up," she repeated with a roll of her eyes. "And keep that sludge magic away from me! Not that I mind a good roll or play in the mud, whatever that was you conjured smelled foul!"

Shaking her head and glad they were on a horse and on the move meant the smell did not linger. So once it passed, she gave a shrug.
"Where we gonna go?" And she tossed her head back with a laugh. "I haven't a clue! But anywhere seems better than here."

"I meant adult," he blushed. He felt enough like a kid at this point he couldn't really argue further. "We could go to La'marri. I got a little- a sister there. That's if you've really got a mind to run away and not look back."

"But really we'd ought to get you changed and rid of the horse. I bet the guard's healing all sorts of stories about a deranged looking bride riding down this way," he couldn't help but giggle, realizing how bad off they were. He started scanning the road for farmhouses. "What do you think they'll do if they catch us, anyways?"

Another eye roll, she felt, was necessary as he correct his assessment to change 'grown up' to 'adult'.
"Kid, don't be so quick to want to grow up. Trust me, I wish I was still your age sometimes. Though I do agree about the dress, I ain't ditching this horse. It's a quick means to get away and travel, unless your dog friend here doesn't like horses..."
But from the looks of things, Shaggy seemed to be enjoying tailing at the horses feet.

"I guess you're right. Its just I used to know lots more about everything. And I didn't get talked down to by girls as much" he muttered thoughtfully with a small smile. It was a good point on her part. A strange gift.

"Well you're not so old either. What are you gonna be and do with your youth 'n freedom? You got a place in mind other than La'marri?"

The sky had turned from blue to purple and the stars made themselves plain. Arca was beautiful behind them, illuminated by thousands of torches and candles both mundane and magical. Ewan's stomach rumbled. He thought about a rabbit Shaggy brought him once, crisped over a campfire. He gave the dog a smile.

Soon a tiny cottage was visible across a field with puffs of smoke rising from the chimney.

"Tch," she gave the kid a smirk. "You've got a lot more livin' to do. Trust me, I won't be the first girl to come along to put you in your place. And me? Yeah, I'm still young. I don't exactly feel ready enough to settle down, if you know what I mean. Adult responsibilities, becoming the person responsible for well... anything is just..."

She didn't even want to finish that thought and shook it away as she shrugged.
"And I don't mind where I go." She looked up to the stars. "So long as it's going to be fun."

Upon hearing his stomach grumble over the night cricket symphony, Angel cast a smirk his way.
"Hungry, kid? Sorry I ain't got a stash of candy beneath this dress, but once we are able to get somewhere safe and clear, let's see if we can't barter or something to get a meal."

And if on cue, on the horizon came a small, quaint cottage. Angel slowed the horse, but stared at the building skeptically.

He scrunched his nose emphatically at her teasing. It was kind of worrying that his taller and stronger traveling companion, who had the horse, and jewelry to barter was so... so.. aimless? But that wasn't really so bad. She probably never strayed more than 5 miles from parents in her whole lifetime.  It could be worse if she were going in the opposite direction.

"How 'bout there?" he pointed as they neared the cottage. Shaggy gave a staccato yip of approval. Ewan was tired and he'd only been riding the past few hours.

A path cut through an unkempt mess of apple trees, marked by a sign reading "Cathwain Orchards." Literate farmers were a novelty elsewhere, but not so much in Serendipity. Up the path a woman was pulling clothes from a line. Middle-aged, tanned, and robust from a life of farm work. She lifted a hand in greeting to the strange pair. "Bit far from a church yard, ain't you lass?" her smile faded at the tatters of Angel's gown, "are you alright, dear?"

"H-hi," Ewan piped up from behind Angel. "We was were wondering if you might..." he trailed off. Whatever they had to trade was Angel's business. He had pants and a dog.

(OOC: Feel free to control her of course. I was thinking anything from a kindly couple of old farmers past their prime; or a witch who wants something -more-)

OOC: ohhh, a witch might be fun! But the illusion could be very elaborate! But we shall see where it goes :D

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"Of course!" came Angel's reply, proud and strong. "This is probably the best day of my life." She beamed. "Found myself a small friend, and have run away from my arranged marriage. But hey, hate to ask this in the first minute we've met, but we're traveling and need a reprieve, perhaps a chance to barter with you for supplies."

The lady smiled, exposing her worn teeth.

"Ah, yes... I'm not sure what all I can do to help, but feel free to come in. I can make you all a cup of tea and soup. But then let's get ye both inside. I could draw a bath, get you all cleaned up. And heavens deary!" she placed ahand to her chest and stared the pair over. "Both of you are skin and bones. It's been decided. You MUST stay for dinner and breakfast, at least! Can't have the pair of ye traveling. You wouldn't survive long as scrappers!"

And the dog barked and the woman drew back, obviously uneasy with the beast. She jumped again when the dog continued to bark.

"Your... dog here, he'll have to stay outside..."

"That won't be a problem," Angel said, relieved to find some place to rest for a bit. "It might be smart to keep him outside, you know, to keep guard of the horse. Any place I can tie him?" she asked as she dismounted, and offered a hand to the kid.

"Sorry. He was in bad shape when I found him. You might just remind him of someone- hey!" Ewan was cut off as the dog began circling him like a herder, determined the boy shouldn't go any further. Just being clingy, probably. "Shaggy I'm NOT leaving you. I promise. We'll bring you a bone after dinner, alright?" It took some coaxing but the dog finally settled into the stable with suspicious whine. Ewan felt a pang of guilt, eager as he was for a warm bed he wouldn't be sharing with a dog.

The cottage was nicely furnished, for a farmer, and the mouth-watering aroma of stewed meat was in the air. She took them to a back room with a wash basin, putting the fire on. "Worked the loom a bit in my youth, orchard was the husband's business. I'll see if I can't scrounge something proper for a travelling girl. As for you, lad, I don't reckon you can get some more firewood from around back while we wait?"

Rolling his eyes when his back was turned, Ewan trudged outside to fetch the firewood while Mara returned to the kitchens. Angel was left alone to bathe. To fetch several logs while Mara tended the kitchens, leaving Angel to bathe. "How come I don't get the first bath with the nice hot water? It's hardly fair that damsels in distress outrank scruffy urchins when it comes to sympathy," he took a seat on the other side of the partition.

Meanwhile old Mara brooded in her kitchen. Only a virtuous maid could work the loom, and any innocence old Mara had was long gone. A girl fleeing a wedding was just what she needed. As for the boy? She thought she smelled the spark of magic in him. And if he didn't make a fine meal, she could always use a young back around the cottage...

Angel was more than relieved at the offer of a bath, and the unique dress offered to her, as created by the old woman's hands, was more than she could ask for. She felt so lucky, so thrilled and was soon stepping behind the partition and tossing her dress up and over the other side, as it half landed over Ewan.

He'd be able to take in the scent as it pillowed around, the sweet fragrance of flowers, and the gentle musk of a young woman.

"I might have let you share if you were a much younger brother." She spoke to him through the thin partition. "But as things are, don't get any ideas to peek." She didn't need a snot nosed kid oogling her and fantasizing over things he couldn't have, after all. That was just gross. Though were he older... She would have teased him like no other. 

"Hey!" Ewan was suddenly trapped in a net of gossamer, which took more than a few moments to untangle. The boy tried not to blush at her insinuation. So self-absorbed! Well, maybe it be normal for a real kid on the cusp of adolescence to be curious. But he TOLD her his story!

"As if I'd want that! I just want some hot water left! And I ain't some overcurious snot-nosed brat. I wasn't lyin' before and I'm NOT gonna look!"

He looked at the garment Mara left him. A shirt, a vest, britches with suspenders and a cap to top it off. There were too many buttons and clasps. But... a lot of work had probably gone into making the little outfit and he didn't want to offend his host. There was something almost too perfect, too saccharine,  about the entire thing. Magic? But this was Serendipity.

"Still never told me about the guy you were gonna marry. Did you even meet him?"

Angel laughed.
"What's to know about him? Are you jealous?" she teased. It was far too much fun not to let the comment be used to his disadvantage. "But if you must know, he wasn't exactly a man for my tastes," she went on, idly popping one of the many bubbles in the bath.

"I think you ran before you even met him you got so scared. And I've... I've kissed girls prettier than you too! ...when I was big," he could have put that much better. "Keep it up 'n I'll make you a frog. A slimy one."

Old Mara gave a hoarse shout from the kitchen. "Reckon the stew will be ready in a quarter bell, kiddies! All scrubbed I hope?"

"Come on I haven't got a bath in weeks!" he pleaded.

Angel rolled her eyes and stepped out of the tub, water gushing everywhere. She wrapped herself with a towel and gave a fluff of her hair.

"Fine, fine. But be quick, pipsqueak. The woman wouldn't like us to dawdle!"

"You tell me not to dawdle?" Ewan stuck his tongue our at Angel, holding up his ridiculous outfit in bemusement. "So what'd she give you?"

As Angel prepared to dress, if she looked closely enough, she might have noticed her new garment eagerly twitching in anticipation. The laces quivered, seams shivered, and buttons twitched in anticipating of a wearer.

Ewan stripped down and and sliding into the tub once he was safely behind the partition. A sigh escaped his lips as he sunk into the hot water, pushing wet bangs from his eyes. It wasn't until Ewan started scrubbing that he noticed how tan he'd gotten from travel. He took his sweet time bathing. He hadn't had one in a long time.

(OOC: I figure the witch can exercise power over whomever wears them?)

If Angel noticed the strangeness of the attire, it was lost behind it's gaudy appearance. She wrinkled her nose and lifted the garment between pinched fingers.
"Somethin' I would never dare wear." She gave a brief laugh and went about drying herself off. "I'm half tempted to put back on my wedding dress." Because although she was never a stickler for fashion, even she had her limits!

Ewan climbed from the tub and dried off, dog-shaking his mop of hair which remained in tangles. The shirt-sleeves wriggled down his arms, and his vest dutifully buttoned itself after he'd donned the short-pants. It wasn't as stuffy as he'd imagined, at least.

"How come you got magic clothes and everything in this country, but kids don't wear shoes? My feet are like shoe-leather..." he complained. It took forever to scrub himself into presentable condition. The boy paused mid-step as he was about to round the barrier. Ewan's heart jumped and he stopped. He'd never hear the end of it if he didn't. "Okay. I'm dressed and I'm coming through," he called softly, "And if you laugh at me I'll laugh at you. So let's not hurt her feelings..."

"Hey, woah, wait just a minute, kid! I ain't dressed yet!" Angel snapped, quick to grab up her towel and the clothing she was about to begrudgingly wear and pressed it against her naked body.
"You may have leather feet, but what happened to your brain, huh?"

Ewan stamped his foot, trapped behind the barrier. It seemed he couldn't win. "Its why I asked! And what's takin' so long anyway? I thought you were the wearing pants and playing in the mud type. Not the hair-combing and make-up type," an impish smirk crossing his face, "maybe your groom got lucky."

***

Meanwhile Old Mara dipped a ladle into her mutton stew, savoring the test, before fishing out the lamb haunch. She could hear the children bickering in the washroom but she was careful. She gently sprinkled powdered valerian root onto the bone. The dog didn't like her, but he'd take food from the boy, surely. She'd offer the bone. The dog would gnaw it and be fast asleep. She'd tie him later when things were under control.

She turned back to her reagent jars thoughtfully. The dress and litle suit would keep them in line. The girl was meant for the loom, but what use the boy would be remained to be seen...

"Children, stew's ready!" she called out sweetly when her work was through.

Angel rolled her eyes.
"I might not be a woman that adores frills, but I also ain't a woman who'll just put on some lousy dress for another." Sighing, she realized she really was wasting both their times, and that of the woman who was there to help. So not thinking anymore into it, she slipped into the simple dress with a frown. Straightening out the skirts with a smoothing motion of her palms, she sighed and told the boy, "I'm ready, I'm ready."

And just in time too! For the old woman told them the food was ready.

Ewan gave Angel a snicker as he passed her, pausing in front of his reflection to preen. They found the woman seated at the hearth and smiling contentedly. She motioned for them to sit. "Thank you Mara, uh, m'am... it smells real good," he greeted her earnestly. And it certainly did; his mouth was beginning to water. Shaggy had caught rabbits on the road but he didn't know how to cook them, so they were usually charred and dry.

Old Mara ladled out the stew for her guests. "So, lass, now that you've escaped your groom where are you two headed? Could use a pair of young hands if you're looking for a roof..." she added sweetly.

He didn't want to be volunteered to stay at this bumpkin's cottage! "We uh, we're actually going to La'marri," he interrupted. At that Old Mara gave him a scolding look that made him want to be quiet.

"Yes, La'marri," Angel chimed in without missing a beat. "Its been my dream all this time to travel and see the world, and I figured that would be the first, best stop if there ever was one!" She went on, all smiles as Mara turned her scrutinizing gaze off the boy to Angel, and it seemed to slip away- but some of that unease still hung in the air. And during the exchange, Angel gave the boy a light kick underneath the table.

"But you've been so helpful, I wouldn't turn you down if you asked us to do a chore or two. But being as we're both run aways.. our stay stay can't be long," she explained, gesturing to the pair of them.

"Ah, I see.." the woman said, giving a sad sigh as she sat back within her chair. "You youngin's are lucky. You've got your whole life ahead of you, but you still all wish to head right in."

Angel studied the woman before asking, "Oh? Did you have any children? Perhaps as.. punctual as we?" Angel asked, all smiles as she rested her elbows on the table, leaning forward in hopes to appease the woman by feigning interest. She was hungry, after all, and didn't want to upset the woman before the food was even served!

However, Angel's stomach belayed her facade, and the girl blushed after the loud rumble of thunder elicited a strange smile from the woman.

"Oh, heavens me, look at me, holding you both back from a proper meal. Now just sit tight, I shall serve ye both." And she took her time getting up from the table and hobbled over towards the kettle and began to portion their stew.

Angel kept that same fake smile, teeth bared nothing short to the falseness a horse might do if it could smile. And while the woman's back was turned, she gave another light kick to Ewan. She could only hope he got the picture. Be nice! Or this woman could throw them out! And without food!

Why can't he answer? And who was she to be kicking him! Ewan gave Angel a kick back, but wound up slamming his foot against her chair-leg instead. There was a thump and he shot a glare at his nagging companion. "Sorry! I slipped..." he apologized and turned red.

Old Mara set one bowl down after the other, gently sliding them across the table to her guests."Have me a daughter. Headstrong girl and out on the world now. Didn't want the farm or the loom, I'm afraid," she gave a wistful smile and looked just a bit sad, but not pitiful. "Visits from time to time of course. So don't you go feelin' sorry."

Of course Ewan did feel a little bad for the lonely old woman, regardless of her apparent feelings on children being seen and not heard.

"Thank you, um, m'am," Ewan gave her a grateful smile, and began gulping down the stew almost immediately as it was set in front of him. The old woman had meanwhile started to root in the cupboard for drinking cups. "So... what sortsa chores could we help with?" he piped in again, trying to sound helpful.

"I'd be lying, young child, if I said there wasn't a lot. These old hands ain't what they used to be," she went on, showing the wrinkled and gnarled fingers to them both. "But old age gets us. It is the only thing certain in this world."

And though the old woman spoke of it matter of factly, just the way it was presented...
It didn't sit well with Angel. She adjusted her weight on the chair, eating the stew more delicately than her companion.

"My father always said just take things one day at a time. We're only human," Angel encouraged.

"Yes.." the woman smiled, but that same feeling was emanating from her that made Angel drop her gaze.

"Sometimes stuff happens and things can't be got to.." Angel went on, clearing her throat as she ate some more of her stew, and was quick to add, "This is really good! You're a great cook!"
Though to be fair, it was actually rather bland.

"Oh, you flatter me!" Mara said, a hand to her chest and a doll like look of endearment painted across her lips. "But honestly... the real task I need.... I'm afraid to ask."
And she turned away, putting on the thematics as Angel peered over at Ewan.

"Well, what is it? You never know, we might not look it, but I'm sure we're able to help you with... whatever it is," Angel said with confidence.

But the old woman seemed to shy away.
"Oh, I just couldn't ask. I couldn't. I would never forgive myself if either of you went into the well and got hurt.... Just to fetch me such a small, forgotten trinket."

"And sure we'll help! What sorta trinket is it?" he perked up. He was expecting a boring and exhausting chore like woodcutting or fruit picking. But a forgotten trinket sounded good. Especially if a magical seamstress wanted it. Not that dresses concerned him much.

"I suppose ya noticed yer clothes are charmed? Its all the loom. Now when I was young I had a pair of shears to match. A loom to weave anything and shears to cut anything. Traded them to the spider down my well for her silk, ya see."

Ewan gave her a nod. It all seemed very sensible. Sapient spiders hardly seemed scary anyway. He was a magician! It did sound a bit dubious. A loom that could make anything? It was probably just magic clothes, but his curiosity was piqued. "Why'd you give them up? And why do you want them?"

"Young and foolish. Didn't think I needed em if I could weave anything. But magic don't just let you run amuck, as you well know. The loom 'n shears need each-other to work proper."

"Guess all magic has a price, huh? But we'll help!" Ewan wondered if something else in the world had aged hideously because he had gotten so young. Or maybe the price was how he had to learn stuff again, like the word adult? He frowned at the thought. "And could I have seconds?" he looked sheepish, adding "-please?" Bland as the stew was his boy's palette was more than satisfied with generous helpings of meat, fat, and salt.

(OOC: Hope the deviation from the tinderbox is okay! Thought it might match the whole seamstress theme.)

"Magical shears down a well," Angel found herself saying after their meal had been complete and the pair were left to work. The old woman had even gone so much as instructed them on how to get to the well, but said she wasn't feeling up to the walk. And the directions were easy to follow, but the circumstances were still so strange.

"And magical clothing..." She peered down at the awkward attire she now wore. "What do you think sort of enchantments that old woman put on these clothing?"

Shaggy cheered up when they brought him a mutton haunch for breakfast, but still more sullen than usual.

Despite slick coat of moss growing on the masonry, the well looked sturdy enough. It had a little thatch roof and was mostly obscured by the tall brush growing around it. Without Mara's directions they'd have been lost. "You really didn't notice about the clothes, how they dress you and stuff?" He turned to face her, unbuttoning his vest as a demonstration. In a matter of moments the vest crept back over his belly, buttons dutifully finding their holes. He let out a small laugh, "See? I don't know a whole lot about enchanting garments but I bet she'd make us something real nice if we helped. Like... shoes to walk on air? A backpack that can hold a house?"

Ewan leaned on the mossy stonework and peered into the blackness of the well. He couldn't see the bottom. Despite its age the thatch roof was in good repair, and the winch and bucket were still sturdy."I've never gone down a well before. Do you just climb the rope? Oh! And the spider..." The boy tried to take stock of what else they'd need to do this. It was hard to keep focused. He was excited and it all sounded so easy.

Angel stared down into the endless darkness in the pit of the well. The air there smelled dank, and though it was said to be an easy task, not being able to see to the bottom did not settle well with her.

"I ain't use to magics, okay? I was in a hurry to dress so I hadn't the chance to really see."

Though her reply came out huffy, she was more anxious than angry at him. Tucking her hair behind her ears, she continued to look down the well.

"NO.. we won't get down by rope, look there."
She pointed to the subtle recess of a make shift ladder.
"Looks like that's the way we'll get down."

And she paused a moment to consider, "Think we ought to have brought a torch or something? I'm not sure how well we'd do down there if we can't see anything."

He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly. "Oh. Right. We will need to see, huh? Actually, wait!" And with that he dropped to his knees and made a shrill chittering noise. Moments later a pair of big, green, phosphorescent worms wriggled their way from the tall grass. The feel of magic stirring within his chest felt good. He picked them up, letting them crawl up his hand with some trepidation, and held one out with a proud smile. "There! They'll grow in the dark for us. The slimier one's yours, for kickin' me."

He gently shifted the glowworm to his shoulder and approached the makeshift ladder. The worms' pale glow already dispelled some of the darkness. They were sure to be enough. "So whose first?"

Angel just looked at the glow worm with one cocked brow. She wasn't exactly squimish around bugs like most girls were (especially having grown up with as many brothers as she had!), but she had to ask him, "Glow worms? You couldn't have conjured actual fire or something?"

But hey, she supposed beggars couldn't be choosers!

At his question, she stepped towards the well.
"I'll go first. I'm the oldest anyway. And besides.. if I'm below, you can't see up my skirts."
And she kicke done leg over the other and crossed over the lip of the well to where her boots found the make shift little recesses of the ladder.

She paused a moment, and held her breath before looking back to the kid.

"Here goes nothing. If I fall and break my leg, take your time getting help." She knew if they did get in trouble, they'd both be more or less out of luck. The old lady was too old to help them and that left them with the boy's dog and well...
It wasn't like he was Lassie or something!

Holding a breath, she began to descend, the glow worm now perched on her shoulder lighting the way.

"I don't do fire. I do plant and animal magic and stuff. Its called animancy. And you're not older- and I wasn't-!" Ewan huffed, scrambling down the well after her.

It was slow going down the rough hewn ladder. Being barefoot didn't help. Each slit was either jagged, or slick with moss and lichen. He didn't even want to know what sorts of crawling things lived inside. By the time Ewan was half-way down, Angel was already nearing the large pool at the very bottom. That's when the trouble started.

Something crawled over his foot. With a shriek, Ewan lost his footing and was left hanging by his arms. His muscles burned as he hung there for what felt like hours, before his probing toes found the ladder again. His heart was pounding. "Angel I don't know If I can do this..." he called down weakly. Ewan was stuck. He was afraid to go any further for fear of slipping, and he didn't think he was strong enough to make the climb-back.

By the time Angel realized his plight, she was already at the bottom. Her eyes went wide.
"Hang on!" And her mind reeled frantically. "Can't you just.. just try to get a better footing or something?" But she could see the way he was all locked up that fear was getting the better of him.

He probed for the next foothold. He counted silently. One. Two. Three. And descended another rung. "I just don't want to go. Its gonna be harder going up," he called down. His voice was quivering and plaintive, like a child trying to avoid school. "Can't we just do something else for her. Please?"

Angel's glow worm illuminated the bottom of the well, but failed to pierce the murky depths. Fire would have been much friendlier than the alien light. A tunnel wreathed in tree roots and wisps of silk branched off from the well-proper.

Angel grew impatient, but she was much more anxious, if anything. And she did fear for the boy's life. One slip and an injury from such a fall would not be easy to heal from- assuming the worst scenario did not happen.

She grit her teeth.

"I'm coming up!"

One way or the other, she had to help him, and if that meant getting the hell out of the well, then so be it!

She made her way up the recessed ladder rungs as quickly as she could. But as Ewan already found out, each footing was unique in it's own slipperiness or decaying rock. She nearly slipped once herself, but soon found herself just in reach of the boy.

"Okay, I'm going to climb over you and I want you to hold onto me, wrap your arms around my neck and stuff, and I'll get us the rest of the way outta here."

Ewan decided not to protest. He was happy they were leaving the well. The boy didn't hesitate to grab hold of Angel's neck and waist, hugging her fiercely during their ascent. Luckily, he was small and weighed no more than a camping pack. It was dark when they reached the surface.

"Sorry," Ewan said in a small voice, dropping to the grass.The boy's face was hot with embarrassment. He felt stupid hanging there and whimpering. "We can try again tomorrow. I'll do better. I-I promise...."

Old Mara's cottage was up the hill. Her silhouette sat on the porch, star-gazing.

Angel patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't let it eat at you, kid. We've had a long day anyway, I'm sure the old woman will understand."

And as the pair approached, Angel felt the weight of guilt upon her as Old Mara looked from the stars, down to them.

"Oh? Back so soon?"

Angel lowered her head for a moment before looking back up at her.

"We... didn't go into the well. Well, we kind of did but it was... complicated. Seems climbing down a well is a lot harder than it looks."

For a split second Mara gritted her teeth in frustration. She was so close to her prize. The spider died to poison months ago; but gods knew she couldn't make it down the well herself. This was work for young backs. Years of selling curses and boons to the desperate gave Old Mara a good eye for people.

Both children were filled with fire. Failure would spur them to try again. If she pushed too hard they'd ask questions, and that would make trouble. She gave a gentle smile, "Don't trouble yourselves. The well's old. Grown man would have reservations too. Do a week's worth of chores round the orchard and I'll see ya outfitted for travel, how does that sound?"

Old Mara lead them indoors. The cottage had one spare room. It was a bedroom, but filled with an odd assortment of mementos and personal knickknacks. Most prominent was a mahogany loom, cut and sanded into a floral motif. No doubt the arcane relic Mara had referred to. "You can sleep here, lass. I'll throw some blankets on the washroom floor for the boy." With that she left to prepare Ewan's sleeping arrangements.

The boy walked over to the bed and flopped down. It was ear-marked for Angel but he needed to sit. "Thanks for getting me. I'll try and do most of the work. Was my fault for being stupid and crying and everything," he sounded tired and defeated. "I wasn't lying about there being a spell on me. It makes me think different!"

"Hey, don't worry. Now's not the time to dwell over these things."
Even if she wouldn't believe him unless he proved it, and she had a feeling he couldn't, which was a convenient cop out but oh well.

She moved to sit on the bed next to him.

"I'm not sure if we can really stay here for a week. I feel we're still too close to my town."
She sighed and looked around, and after ensuring Mara was out of ear shot, she added, "If we have to, we might need to sneak out at night. But staying here for another day wouldn't be a bad idea after all we've been through. And who knows, it could prove to be a worthy hide out, especially if the chores are easy!" she told him, smartly.

"And What's the worst that could happen? You become Missus Wonderful, your parents pay off the guy, and I get shipped off to some... ugh... orphanage?" he cracked a weak smile. None of that sounded good. But less sympathetic horse thieves would have it worse.

"I'd feel awful bad running off. And whose gonna know we're at a little farmhouse anyway?" He didn't even like the Mara all that much. But something about ducking out on a lonely old lady filled him with guilt.

The boy hopped off the bed to examine the loom in the corner. He laid a hand on the dark wood, trying to feel the spellwork. Ewan's discerning taste for magic had dulled since the transformation. A mischievous smirk crossed his face. "I guess it would be good to try for the shears again. If it works I bet we could go the rest of the way on a magic carpet, or something."

Just then they heard the creak of the floorboards, announcing Mara's return.

Angel hadn't a chance to reply, but his first remarks she made a rolling eyed glare. And once she realized Mara was back, she stood up suddenly and tossed a pillow none too gently at Ewan's head.

"Mighty cozy in here ain't it? Though a bit musty, forgive me. I don't entertain much," Mara went on.

Angel waved it off.
"Don't worry about it. And you shouldn't be fussing over us. We really weren't invited guests, and your hospitality is more than we deserve. But hey, if you don't mind, the boy can just sleep in the bed with me." And she leaned forward as she covered her hands over Ewan's ears to whisper to Mara, "He gets scared if he sleeps alone. He'll wake up screaming in a fit. Besides, he's like my little brother."
And to emphasize her point, she ruffled his hair so that it was all staticky and sticking up all over the place.

"Gah! Hey!" Ewan yelped in surprise. He'd been hit with a pillow, then had his ears covered and his hair mussed. What the hell was she whispering anyway? It was nice to be looked after; even if he felt like a stuffed doll.

He slid from Angel's grip and retrieved the blankets Mara intended for his stay on the floor. "Thanks for takin us in and all."

"Not a hair of trouble, lad, and company does me well now and again," the witch gave a faint smile. "Breakfast's when the rooster crows." And with that she turned on her heel.

The boy gave his companion a rueful glance, trying to pat his tussled hair into place. He wasn't having much success. "So's this part of your escape plan or are you just being nice?" he dropped his voice, a little dubious after all her teasing. "And just what did you say to her?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She teased, sticking her tongue out at him. "Besides, it was just grown up talk."

"Other silly outfits to put me in or ways to mess up my hair?" Ewan rolled his eyes. The boy unfastened his vest and was left in a billowy white tunic.

He fluffed his pillow and climbed into the bed. It was comfy. And being swaddled in blankets was much nicer than sleeping with a dog. All he needed was a book. There was a stack of old romance serials; a mystery; and a dusty book of fables. He made a face at the romantic rubbish and wouldn't dare leave a mystery unfinished. The book of fables were the sensible choice, even if it was for children.

Book in hand and blankets drawn up to his chest Ewan was ready. "Now come on, tell me! You really don't plan for us to sneak off, do you?" he asked in a strategically small voice, trying to sound sleepy. He made sure to look settled in. Whether or not he screwed up their well adventure he was not going anywhere tonight!

Angel grinned devilishly.
"Why would I sneak off when there's promise of seeing you in a man's dress tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't dare! And there's no such thing as a man's dress. You made it up! I... hope." Ewan was familiar with all sorts of ridiculous wizarding robes. They were mostly stupid and impractical.

He returned the book to night stand and curled back up beneath the covers. It seemed rude with company. "Sure feels like I've known you longer than a day. Though I hardly know much about you, all the same," he cracked a smile. "How bout you ask me three things and... I ask you three things?"

Angel really liked getting the better of this 'pup', and the grin showed it. But as he went on to ask questions, she raised a brow.
"Why not make it truth or dare?" she told him, her grin positively devilish. "It would make things more interesting if you're not too tired and need your baby sleep."

He hadn't played that in years!

"Truth or dare's for kids-" An impish grin crossed the Ewan's face and he sat up, "'kay then. Truth or dare?" Surely he could think of some way to make her blush.

In the very back of his head the boy knew it wouldn't end well.

Angel smirked.
"Truth."

"If you have one wish-" Ewan screwed up his face, "No, that's dumb. If suddenly you were a boy, what would you do and what would you look like?"

Angel laughed.
"I'd probably declare I'd never get married, and I'd probably look like one of my many brothers."
Her smile broadened as she nudged him. "Your turn. Truth or dare?"

"Lot of brothers," Ewan stuck out his tongue. "Explains your knack for annoying me.

"Truth," his lips formed the word dare. He wanted to be daring, especially after sniffling in the well, but was trying to avoid further embarrassment for the time being.

"Why do you wish to be an adult so badly?"

"Well, I liked my old self," the boy splayed his fingers, counting off with a cocky smirk "I was smart, I was handsome, I knew a lotta magic. But don't feel much like that person anymore; you hardly believe me!"

"But, I guess lots of people would give a lotto be a kid again. All I had to do was sniffle and you came right to my rescue!" Ewan cracked a smile. He had to admit it was nice to feel looked after...

"So round two. Truth or dare?"

Angel smirked.
"And I'm sure you're all of those things."
She didn't think too long on it before saying, "Truth."

"Because this is truth or dare, and I'm not a cheater! I still don't see why its so hard to believe... didn't they have any mages where you grew up?"

Ewan snaps fingers, "Okay. Kind of lame for a truth or dare question: but where'd you grow up? What was your home and parents like?"

Angel rolled her eyes at such a question.
"Ugh, a boring question, too. I grew up in Adela, though my family traveled a lot to Serendipity, for trade and stuff. We lived near the boarder, which was good for business since we could trade with both Adelans and Serenians. But I grew up with my family who does trade, mostly in dragon farming. You know, like the smaller ones you can ride. Kind of like a horse." She shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. But my parents were okay. My brothers and I got away with murder a lot and i think we made my mother's hair turn grey. But eh... I don't dislike my parents. I just wish my mother wasn't so.. you know, traditional. And that my father had more of a back bone. I mean, he just easily agreed with her about my arranged marriage and didn't even care I was upset!"

Angel gave a frustrated groan.

"Anyway.. it's your turn. Truth or dare?"

"You're not a total bumpkin then. Dragons. I've only ever seen one. Hard to think of them as just being farmed. So're you clinging to being a kid on your parents farm, or keen on seeing bigger and better things than dragons before you settle?"

"And it wasn't such a dumb question I learned-" he laid back and side softly, "Sorry. I'm not much fun am I? You start to forget how to be silly at twenty four. If I have to grow up again what would I even talk about to boys my age? I'd just wind up even weirder."

The boy was lost in thought for a moment, "Dare."

Angel grinned.
"On the contrary, you're fun to tease when you're like that." And she fought off the urge to ruffle his hair. But when he said dare, her eyes lit up.

"Go outside and fetch your dog and bring him in here with us without getting caught," she went on without missing a beat.

(EDIT: Sorry if that move too fast. We can rewind if you wanted to insert anything!)

"But she said-" he felt a small pang of guilt. Slobbery as the wolfhound was, Shaggy hadn't left his side since they met. "Fine. But he's sleeping on top of you. I just had a bath."

Ewan rolled out of the bed and tip-toed toward the hallway. At the far end Old Mara's bedroom door was shut. He'd not need to pass it, and old people slept a lot anyway. So the boy pressed on. It was dark save for what moonlight could filter through the windows. Fortunately he didn't trip, but the real obstacle proved the barred door. Ewan had to stand on his tip-toes.

Shaggy, tied to the stable-post, let out a soft whine at the boy's approach

Ewan crouched beside the dog, scritching his ears before unfastened the tether. The dog bowled him over, assaulting his face with a rough tongue.

"Ugh! I'm sorry I left you out here. But we're going to have to be quiet if you want to go indoors," The boy brushed the straw from his nightshirt, guiding his dog by the shoulder back towards the front.

Angel gave a smug grin when she saw him return with the dog and gave a pat to the bed beside her.
"Come on you fluff ball, I've got a seat right here waiting for ya!"

The trip across the cottage was nerve-wracking. The click-a-clack of shaggy's nails was sure to rouse Old Mara. That wasn't even counting Shaggy's loud panting, or if he barked. But what the hell was he afraid of? A scolding? His little heart was still pounding. Only a cool, sweating glass of water on a hot summer's day... unbuttoning your collar after a stuffy funeral... or a long piss after a night of drinking could match Ewan's relief at reaching the bedroom.

Shaggy leapt up beside Angel, and laid his head into her lap with a mur of satisfaction.

"I should have used a window, huh?" the small boy crept to his side of the bed, grateful to be burried beneath the wool and down blankets again. "And he can sleep on you. Hasn't even had a bath, you know,"

Had the children allowed some silence to pass between them they might have heard the creak of floorboards elsewhere in the house.

"Oh. And truth or dare?" he remembered their game.

Angel ruffled the dogs fur and replied, "Hrrrmmm... Dare!" She was feeling adventurous that night!

"I dare you to kiss Shag-," the boy groaned "I probably wouldn't even need to dare you to kiss a dog."

"Put on that silly dress of yours, go outside, and howl at the moon. We'll watch," he pointed toward the window with a smile.

Meanwhile a ragged, feline shank peered through the doorway. The familiar's yellow-green eyes watched in silent judgment.

(OOC: Sorry for the delay!)

Ooc: no worries! Just post when you can :)

---

At first, Angel was amused as she scritched the dog behind his ears.
"Typical kid stuff," she went on with a roll of her eyes,but when he finally did settle on a dare, she sprung to her feet.
"What? You want me to put back on that froofy thing? Do you even know how long it takes to lace up the back?"

"What? I think its just as good as yours. And a dare's a dare" the boy shrugged. It actually was silly.

An impish smile crossed Ewan's face as he late back in the bed. A pang of jealousy flared in his brain as his dog snuggled into Angel.

"I don't know much about dresses and don't care to learn. You don't need to do it proper, anyway."

Without a sound the cat drifted from its post in the doorway, slinking in to the darkness from whence it came. Shaggy let out a low whine of alarm. The dog didn't like this.

Angel groaned.
"Fine. But you'll have to turn around so I can change. And you're helping with the laces!" even a little tightening was better than her dress threatening to fall off and give everyone a show.

"Do up the laces?" Ewan groaned and rolled over, pulling up the old blanket to cover his face. He was more tired than he thought and sleep was beginning to gnaw away his energy. "You're supposed to do stuff for the dare, not me!"

Shaggy slid off the bed as Angel rose to change. The mutt padding over to the door, loudly sniffing about, before falling onto his haunches like a soldier at attention.

"Have you ever worn a wedding dress? I think it's one of the most uncomfortable pieces of clothing there is! And the dress can not be worn without the help of another person. And seeing how your dog doesn't have hands, that leaves you. Now come on," she pressed as she slipped into her dress, back to him and her clothes discarded beside the bed. "Get lacing!"

Ewan wriggled his fingers with a smirk. "Bet I could give Shaggy fingers and he could do it..."But you better howl good in either case."

"So just through these holes?" Ewan rolled over and sat cross-legged on the bed, taking the gossamer lace and staring at it in confusion. He felt dumb for asking and began sloppily lacing the gown from the top. He missed a few holes and pulled it a little too tightly in places. The muscles he'd had as an adult were replaced with the baby fat of a small boy, after all, and he'd had to overcompensate.

"Yeah, yeah," she went on with a roll of her eyes. "I'll howl so much your dog will be jealous. Just keep working at those laces. I don't feel like giving you a show while making a fool of myself."

She kept one hand on her bodice to keep it up while Ewan worked and her other hand held up her hair. It seemed like the kid was taking forever, and when it felt secure enough, she turned around suddenly before he even had a chance to tie it closed.

"That should do. I'm only wearing this for like a minute. Now come on," she jerked a thumb towards the door. "Let's get this dare over with so we can move on with this game. Oh, and don't forget about Shaggy. As much as you'd like to wish it, he still doesn't have real fingers."

Slipping out into the hall, she peered around to ensure no one was there and moved as quietly as possible to the front door and outside. Any minute creak made her bristle, and she held her breath as she slowly closed the door behind her. But as she turned around to step out int the lawn, her bare foot stepped on her dress and with a gasp,s he began to tumble forward.

"Course I won't forget him! I ain't careless," Ewan hissed, creeping barefoot after Angel. Shaggy followed when Ewan gave him a tug, but he could feel the dog's muscles tensing up. Something in here sure was bothering him. Their second journey across the threshold was nerve wracking, though it took less than a minute. Getting caught would be humiliating.

And then Angel tripped.

The boy could see it happened, and rushed forward to grab her, but it was too late. The bride fell forward with a loud thud onto the creek floorboards. He dropped his whisper, "Angel, are you okay?!"

"Children? Is everything alright?" came old Mara's tired voice from down the hall.

Angel cursed and grabbed Ewan's hand.
"Come on!" and she proceeded to drag the pair of them out the door.

Ordinarily  Ewan would've protested being pulled by the wrist, but he allowed the disheveled bride to tug him along. The witch's stable was another few paces and they'd soon put everything back to their host's specifications. Angel's howling would have to wait.

"Sorry. It was a dumb idea," Ewan looked down and muttered, trying to fit the rope and collar back around Shaggy. The wolfhound was having none of it and squirming out of every attempt. "I don't know what's gotten into him. Think you could hold him steady?"

She only obliged when she felt they were far enough away to get this under control, then promptly dropped to her knees and held onto the dog.
"Hurry up!" she hissed. "I'd rather not get caught you know!"

"Stay. Staay. Good boy!" Ewan finally secured the rope, scritching his dog behind the ears in consolation. He stepped back from the animal and dusted off his hands. "There. All done and no one the wiser."

Angel and Ewan could hear approaching footsteps. It was Mara, a small fire burning in her outstretched palm and casting long shadows on the grass. She stood straighter than before, and didn't look at all a tired old spinster. "Bit late to be out and about, isn't it children? Old Silas tells me you've been up to mischief."

A ragged little tabby slunk into view beside her.

Angel nearly jumped out of her skin, but when she turned around, she had to do a double take. Was this the old woman?

"Silas?" She looked to the cat. "Are you saying it was the cat who gave us away, or just the pair of us bein' noisy?" Angel went on, not fully believing the old woman who....
hrm, maybe it was the lighting, but she didn't look as old as she once had. It was... strange. then again,t he night could play tricks on you.

"Silas is a clever cat. Last thing I need is that mongrel causing a ruckus and riling my poor cat!" she chided. There was an edge her voice. It wasn't just a scolding.

Ewan gave Angel a look. He had to agree the old woman looked different in the moonlight. Her wrinkles and any kindness had been smoothed over. His mind raced in search of excuses, "We were just worried he was lonely and all! We're awful sorry for the mess. We took him right back out."

Mara gave a dissmissive grunt. "Brats aren't fit even to feed spiders it seems. No matter, got other uses for you." With that she beckoned forward wither index finger.

Ewan felt his nightshirt grow very tight around his arms and midsection. The boy's limbs began moving of their own accord as he toddled forward. "Wh- hey! Stop!"

Angel gave the woman a glare.
"We didn't mean to cause any sort of a scene. But we were just passing through anyway and I-"

And she found herself pausing for a moment as Ewan was stumbling forward.

"Hey, kid.. what are you doing?" she hissed, and snapped onto his arm, but was surprised at the force behind it as she was suddenly stumbling behind him- being dragged along with him instead of the other way around! She would have succumbed to the same fate with the clothing, but she had removed hers in lieu of the dare that required her to wear her dress, whihc she was cursing and stumbling over now.

The dog was barking.

"I don't know! I can't move!" his voice was panicky. The boy tried to bring his hands together for a spell, but his limbs refused to answer. With sudden deftness, Ewan twisted from Angel's grip, skipping several paces ahead to stand obediently at Mara's side. Her strong grip and sharp nails dug into his shoulder.

The old woman chuckled softly. "Its not personal. I simply need my shears and the spider needs his meal. I couldn't let you slip away so easily. Mind you, I might keep the boy if there's magic in him. Now if you don't want your little brother harmed I suggest you get back into your night clothes!"

"Don't!" Ewan shrieked.

Angel's head was swimming, her skin prickling with fear. But she kept a cold, sharp gaze on the witch.

"And if I refuse? I don't think I need any enchanted clothing to do those tasks you just asked. How about I feed your spider and get your shears in exchange for you letting my brother go?"

"That'll be our bargain. You get the shears, I send you off.Best case you'll steal 'em back, worst you'll be tribute," Mara's lips curled into a smile at Angel's suggestion. "And don't cross me, girl, I've been at this since before you were born."

Ewan stood there sullenly. Angel's proposal was probably going to get her eaten, and there was no way he was going to live under the thumb of some stupid country-witch. He began muttering an old sylvan poem, one that was supposed to turn him into lion, and shred the cursed nightshirt...

"And by sending me off you mean sending both of us off, together... right?"

A dusting of fur was beginning to form on Ewan's ears and sideburns when the boy's hand rose to slap himself across the cheek. "Ow!" And the spell was lost, leaving a light coat of down clinging to his extremities. He folded his arms in defeat and shot a rueful glance to the witch.

"Afraid of the dark, girl? I'm liable to throw the boy to the spider should you fail anyway, girl, so you've a point. He'll behave for me anyhow, hm?" Mara snorted in amusement at the struggling Ewan, tousling his hair.

The sorceress began to walk Ewan in the direction of the well, motioning Angel to follow. "Now are you sure you don't want a pair of britches for spelunking?"

Ewan caught Angel's eyes and shook his head emphatically. He hadn't really made many clever choices today, and certainly should've smelled the witch, but Angel might be able to overpower the woman things as they were.

Angel held her tongue. It was a hard thing to do, but she didn't wish any harm on the poor kid. After all, it was partly her fault she let him tag along (if one could call it that!) And as they drew near the well, she cast a stubborn glare at the witch.

"What?" Angel went on with a small heft to her skirts. "Don't think I can do all of this in my wedding dress?" The reply was naturally curt, but she didn't like this situation anymore than the kid did.

She folded her arms across her chest.
"So you just gonna watch me descend or somethin'? And how will I know I'm not being duped like he had been," she went on, pointing to Ewan and then looking nonplused towards the witch.

"I'll be waitin' up top; can't have you getting tricky, can I? And the boy's got magic in him," she cackled, "He could sniff out any enchantments."

He could certainly tell if something was magical. Why hadn't he seen the clothes as anything more than a folk-charm? He should've known better and now he and this poor girl were going to be killed. "I think I could. If you trust me...," Ewan was blushing furiously.

"Got some farmhands' overalls on the back porch in a trunk. They'll have to do. Fetch 'em, boy, and no mischief."

He was obedient this time. The jog to and from the cottage was only a minute, and the trunk of work-clothes easy to find. Ewan thought he might try and untie shaggy, but could feel his shirt-collar tighten with even a step toward the old stable. The overalls were patched and musty. He tugged the seams, tasted a button, and whispered a revealing charm. There was no magic in them. He hoped there wasn't, at least.

Overalls in hand the the boy came sprinting back, gasping for breath as he presented the garment.

Over alls or not, Angel set her chin, looking as stubborn as ever.
"What if I refuse those clothing? I could just make some minor adjustments to this thing." She gave the ends of her dress a shake. "Shouldn't be difficult, just would need some scissors. Then I could crawl around in that dark well of yours easier than if I were wearing those stiff, old lookin' things."

It was evident she was trying the witches patience. And was that a growl she heard.

"Well," she faltered a little. "Maybe not scissors, but see?" She bent over, taking a bunch of the dress's skirt ruffles into her hands and giving a hard tug. A layer of ruffles began to rip. "I could just make some modifications... and then we could both get what we want."

She tossed the layer of ruffles aside and eyed the witch before removing a few more ruffles to make the dress much shorter, more breathable and a lot more convenient since her legs were mostly free. But as she looked over the clothing Ewan held, she took a step towards him and plucked the boots he had from his grip.

She made a face. The boots smelled sour, like old manure. SHe looked to Ewan and shook the boots towards him.

"Sniff any magic on these? Cause I could at least wear the boots."
So long as they didn't magically make her feet do things she didn't want to! She hated the idea of any sort of possession, magical or other wise. It was why she ended up here int he first place, after all!

Ewan didn't blame Angel for preferring her dress to the rank overalls. There was no chance of selling it off now, but the dusty road hadn't been kind to it anyway. He wrinkled his nose as Angel presented the boots, tracing a finger over the toe and laces. "They just smell awful, and I'm not a dog. I don't feel any magic in them, though" he added quietly, "if you trust me."

Handing the footware off to Angel, the boy approached the well. It was a pit of blackness. The cursed tunic tensed around his throat as a spell was whispered, calling forth a pair of glow-worms. Ewan clenched his teeth defiantly. "I think I can climb. There's just water at the bottom anyways. Right?

"And how are we supposed to get the shears without getting eaten? Just how big is this thing?"

The boy looked toward the sorceress and Angel. Their answers weren't going to assuage his fears. Feisty as Angel was, the girl surely wasn't a match for the predator. Was it intelligent? Could they reason with it?

"Stop dragging your feet and be on with it! Its just a pair of scissors. Surely you can think of something."

Angel didn't like the mean smile from the witch, and haughtily secured the boots. Smell of not, they had a job to do.

"Come on. I'll go first," Angel muttered and wasted no time as she began to descend. The dress may have been a poor choice, but even as it bunched and would snag it was better than having her body enslaved. Halfway down, she paused and looked up at Ewan.

"You still hanging in there, kid?"

"I'm fine this time. I promise," Ewan murmured in a small voice. He tried his best to blot his weak arms, the slimy crevices, and long fall from his mind. It was slow going. Maybe a good meal and a night's rest did the trick? Maybe he just did well under pressure? Or maybe...

"Bet this stupid shirt's helping me out. Sure you're okay in that dress?"

Eventually the pair neared the bottom of the well. It was cool and earthy. The glow-worms revealed a pool of dark water, and a rough-hewn corridor branching off it.

"Wonder if its deep enough to jump? Can you see?"

Angel was panting some before she reached the bottom- though it was hard to tell if it was from exertion, nerves or the smell. At his question, she wrinkled her nose and tried to let her eyes adjust. Despite the glow worms, it was still pretty dark.

"It's hard to see," she hissed. "And you worry about yourself."

She was able to see the water, and closely now- the faint glow from the worms danced off the subtle rippling surface.

"Yes, we're almost there," she spoke through a breath. "Let's just hurry this up."
And with more confidence that they were near the bottom, Angel found herself soon with two boots on the  damp ground.

As he neared the bottom Ewan looked over his shoulder, tensing as he prepared to leap the rest of the way. The boy had second thoughts and scrambled down to the very bottom of the well. It was wet and scummy.  He made a wretching noise and scraped his algae-covered foot against a nearby rock. "Nothin' but rocks here. Can you throw one hard?"

"Dumb idea," he sighed and shook his head "Sorry for getting us killed or enslaved. Should have paid more attention rather than playing along. So you know anything about wrestling giant bugs bare-handed? Unless you think we can chat it up."

Angel wrinkled her nose.
"Does it look like I'm an insect wrestler? Besides, spiders eat bugs, they ain't one of 'em!" And at his apology, she shook her head.
"Don't worry about it kid. Let's just get this done and over with. I'm sure we can figure this out along the way."
Though she sounded a lot more confident than she felt!

"Well you grew up on a dragon farm. And you ain't exactly dainty," he laughed nervously, his face flushing red. How could he forget such a simple thing? "You know what I meant! Artho- athropod!"

The brick and mortar walls of the well gave way to a rough-hewn cavern. It was cold, cramped, and spiraled downward into the earth. As their journey progressed the duo noticed wisps of old spidersilk in the gloom. Ewan noticed packs of tiny spiders scurrying into crevices, and away from the phosphorescence.

"Might have a spell that'll help. Would stop him from biting us, anyway, if you want to try..." he jabbed a finger toward Angel. "It thickens your skin."

She swatted the jabbing finger away.
"Thicken my skin? No thanks. I don't exactly feel like playing with magics."
And that from a kid trying to learn how to be a warlock, or something! She gave a shake of her head.

"Can't you think of a spell, I dunno- maybe one that you can do to make hte spider fall asleep? Or reduce it in size or something so we can just step on it?"
It would certainly make this task easier!

"It wouldn't last forever! It'd just make your skin like tree-bark. Used to be a pretty good mage ya know," Ewan replied. "I suppose I could try and shrink her or something. Its easier to magic people who want it."

The boy cracked a small smile, "Ain't as fun as seeing you all leafy, or a giant bear-girl anyhow."

The two crept through the cavern, perhaps not as quietly as they should have. The cramped tunnel began to widen, with a thick thatch of web around the walls and ceiling.

Angel cut him a look.
"If you so much as wriggle those fingers at me and try muttering a spell, I'll do more than box you on the ears. Now come on," she hissed, her voice low. "We don't know how well this spider.. thing can hear."

Once the web was in view, Angel released the breath she didn't know she had been holding and swore.
"I guess we at least are at the right place," she muttered under a whisper, but hung back around the opening of the room. She wanted to see if she couldn't spot the large spider, first. She did NOT want to be caught by surprise.

"You'll what?" Ewan huffed, falling behind as they crept nearer the room. He nearly walked into a dangling net of silk, but ducked out of the way with a soft gasp.

The widening tunnel opened into an enormous chamber. A plane of webbing stretched on a slant from floor to ceiling. Dozens of silk cocoons were nestled in the web. Some large enough to be men or animals. In the upper recesses of the web lurked a shadowy, spindly shape.

"Do you think it talks? Did have the presence of mind to steal magic scissors..."

Angel stopped.
"What kind of question is that?" Though she too now wondered the same. Eyes searched the depths of the darkness before them, before she too, saw its twinkling eyes.
"It's all the way up there, see it?" She held her breath. "Keep your eye on it, I'm going to look for the shears." And slowly she crept along the wall, eyes looking for anything scissor like.

"Thought we could negotiate..." he mumbled, staying put while Angel crept along the edges of the web. The girl saw all manner of oddities entombed in silk: a desiccated deer, a stack of old books, a withered old goblin... several yards away, however, there was a glint of metal in the phosphorescence.

Some stray bits of web coating the floor, however, were disturbed by Angel's skulduggery...

Back toward the entrance of the cave Ewan saw the splindly shape stir. Did it see her? Was it even a spider? Bug-eyed, he waved and hissed, trying to get her attention and not the spider's.

Ewan's words made Angel bristle. Teeth clenched, she flashed him the meanest of looks-

But the spider could see all, and before she knew it-
The spider began to drop.

"Look out!" he shouted. There wasn't much sense in stealth now.

With a chitttering roar the spider spit globules of spidersilk and mucus in Angel's very direction.

Ewan readied what he'd meant to be a shrinking curse, meant to ready the spider weakened and impotent. He cast the spell, but the spider was too quick, it missed leaving a mass of sickly sickly vegetation on the wall where it landed.

He tried again, stumbling over the syllables...

The webbing hit it's mark and caused Angel to stumble to a halt. Not that she had much of a choice! And the second she was able to, her entire face wrinkled at the displeasuring feeling of the sticky webbing. But that was probably the least of her worries, for the second she caught the spider moving her way, it was upon her.

She was barely able to turn around to watch as the thing rose up, exposing sharp teeth dripping with venom. But in a flash, there was the most strangest of noise- and a moment later, something boney and human sized with human limbs landed ontop of her- naked and having the longest, wildest hair she'd seen.

Angel groaned and squirmed beneath the person.

"Get- get off!" This was so gross! Was it a corpse that lande don her-
but the second she saw it's face, she paled-
and let out a shrill cry-
Which was soon joined by the wicked cackle of a woman who looked most similar to the witch whose errand they were chained to.

"Been asleep for ages I have! Or spider-brained, to be precise!" the woman struggled to her feet. She made no effort to cover herself; likely because the cloak of hair was doing it for her. The filthy and bedraggled woman's gaze locked onto Angel, grinning with something between madness and delight "But not anymore. Not anymore. What year is it my little dove?"

Ewan sprinted over toward Angel and the woman without a second thought. It seemed the spider was taken care of. But who was she? He cursed under his breath for not casting some sort of ward. "A-are you okay?" the boy offered Angel and hand, and the woman a suspicious glance "And you, you're the spider? Or you were?"

The wild-haired woman staired at her hands, flexing and splaying her fingers. "Yes. Yes I was the spider. Have been for years. Wretched business. But the spell is broken now, shattered, unwoven. Do I take this to mean my sister's undone? Hm?"

Angel could not believe this, and only found enough strength out of her surprise to get up onto her feet.

"Look, Miss Spider," Angel began, hands to her hips. "It was that old wi- er, your sister that sent us down here! As far as your current state..." she shook her head. "I definitely can not explain that one, but don't you try any funny business.... or else!"
And Angel gave the woman a tough look.

An amused grin crossed the woman's face, and a lock of silken hair stretched out, inexplicably, to stroke Angel's chin. "Or else or else or else what? She sent you to do me in? Woman or spider you'll not pry them from me, girl."

"Your sister tried to make us slaves! We just need some scissors." Ewan interjected. He felt he threads of the cursed nightshirt tighten ever-so-slightly as he spoke against Mara. The boy continued, "As for the curse you can only have so many charms on a thing. Over-enchantment makes it warp."

If the spider-woman's fear were assuaged her face didn't show it. If anything, her nostrils flared in anger. "The name's Meirion, twin to Mara. And you've no notion of what you're dealing with do you boy? I won't be giving them up."

Angel could not believe this. Her brows dropped and her hands clenched into fists.

"Sorry to tell ya, but we ain't exactly giving you a choice. Now we ain't sayin' we have to do you in, but perhaps we can figure out a compromise for those scissors. But considering now you're not a spider, perhaps you can begin to explain to us just exactly what's going on." And she folded her arm's across her chest, and narrowed her gaze upon Meirion. "ANd don't think about dragging your feet on this, neither. Neither the kid nor me are happy to be here."

"Kid?" At that, the woman's grin grew a bit sinister, but she held her tongue if she had something to say, but she continued to cackle.

"Do the pair of ye really not know what you're up against?"

Angel's eyes narrowed. She hated that the other woman was trying to make her, or rather, the pair of them, look dumb.

"We know well enough she gave us no choice. You think we really came traipsing down in this old well here for fun?"

Meirion snorted in bemusement. She certainly wasn't taking them seriously! Then again they were a young woman and a child in a torn wedding dress and pajamas...

"My shears can cut anything, girl. Wool. Iron. Dragonbone. You figure out what the loom does. And what they can do together. Mara's always been the ambitious one."

Ewan decided to interject before the Meirion reached any other conclusions about them. "Well, if you're human again are you a match for your sister's magic? And we don't even want 'em, like Angel said. Maybe the three of us could-" He felt the nightshirt twist around his throat again and his eyes bugged out. It knew he was plotting betrayal.

The boy staggered backward, choking and straining against the hexed fabric "Get- off!"

Angel's eyes widened.

"His clothes!" She pointed to the kid and turned to Meirion, who hadn't even the time to squawk out a reply. But before the old woman even gave an answer, she responded to the scene with an upward jerk of her wrist- and suddenly the clothing around the boy became so tight it simply ripped off his body, leaving poor Ewan to fall over, naked- but very much rid of the spell!

Meirion gave a wriggle of her fingers and a shake of her wrist while making a face.

"My sister is getting rusty."

Ewan tumbled forward onto the cold floor of the cave, gasping, his eyes were burning with tears. The hexed nightshirt had a grip stronger than any full-grown man! The boy staggered to his feet and instantly blushed, dropping his hands to cover up. There wasn't very much to hide, of course, but that only made the whole thing more humiliating. And Angel was worried about him peeping...

"Thanks..." he coughed a bit, scanning the cavern for anything suitable. He didn't particularly trust the silk. "I suppose with you around we can run her off and be on our way?"

Meirion smirked, "Rusty myself. Might be able to hold off her spells. Pair of you will need to carry your weight. Here's to hoping she's been resting on her laurels this time." Wrapped in a cloak of hair Meirion strode over to a nearby cocoon. She flicked her wrist, and as if pulled by some unseen hand it began neatly unfurling itself into a pair of golden shears clattered to the ground.

The boy had to admire her un-self-consciousnesses as he toddled along behind her. The cave was cold.

"So we're just... leaving now?" Angel finally asked when her breath returned to her. She shook her head as she ran, and stumbled a bit as she made to remove her petticoat. The ruffled piece of clothe was useless now anyway,a nd it seemed at least one useful thing was coming out of this damn tattered gown.

"Here, clothe yourself with this, kid," Angel said, near shoving it into his hand.

"Would you rather stay down here, girl? Been down here two decades and I don't fancy staying a minute more!" Meirion snapped, holding up her hand and the shears as they came to a fork in the winding caves. "Only way out I know of us up. Got a score to settle besides that."

"Can't I just wear some scraps like a- a robe or something?" Ewan wrinkled his nose at the tattered dress. It was hardly better than strutting through the cavern nude; and the fact his hair was getting girlishly long hardly helped matters. A cold breeze cut through the cavern, reminding him he wasn't in a position to argue. "Thanks, I mean; sorry."

"And maybe one of the tunnels leads to a river or something? We do need a plan. Think she'll see us coming up the well." The boy stepped into the frilly underskirt with a scowl, frantically looking for some kind of button or clasp, "Ugh! How does this even work?"

Angel huffed.
"Well if up seems the only way in, why would we test our luck in this under ground maze? Unless you think you know the way out, Grandma."

"Wasn't human when I walked these caves, dearie," Meirion paused mid-step and closed her eyes. "Might get us to the river. Might not. We can loop round. Ambush her!"

"We've got move. I'm freezing!" Ewan fussed with the petticoat, hugging himself to stay warm. "What if we take the shears up to catch her off guard... then you two pounce on her while she's distracted?"

The boy gripped Angel's arm and gave her an uncertain look. Being a spider for untold years had no doubt taken its toll on this woman's faculties... and he didn't want to go making up risky plans by himself.

Angel turned to Erwin and smiled at his idea.
"That sounds more reasonable..." but then she frowned. "Except she'll wonder where your clothes have gone and why you're wearing my under skirts..."

Stupid. Ewan blushed at his obvious oversight.

"Maybe you could bring the shears? Could say I've been eaten, or stopped to piss or something, he cracked a tiny smile, "Then we wait a bit and climb up to get her when she's distracted!"

Meirion, meanwhile, stood still caressing the implement...

Angel gave a scrutinizing look to Meirion then looked back to Ewan.

"If I had a choice, I'd stay as far away from her and..." Her eyes looked back to Meirion so she wouldn't have to say that outloud (cause right now they were apparently on her side!) before saying, "Well, you know, just to get as far away as I can. You should be thinking the same."

Turning around, she eyed up Meirion again.

"You're her sister or whatever, do you have any other suggestions? I mean.. we could just take.. whatever those are you have, and you know, go elsewhere to leave your sister to rot."

"Angel is right. Its awful dangerous to go picking a fight. You might want revenge, but we just want to stay alive," Ewan's stomach sank as he remembered something. He groaned and pinched his nose. "We left Shaggy tied up at the barn. We have to get him!"

Ewan never much cared for dogs but... the animal had been with him for two weeks. Awful and slobbery as it was.

"Angel and me will go up with the scissors. You can surprise her while she's busy wondering why I'm... like this... but we're going after the dog first thing we get."

Meirion clucked her tongue and paced in a tight circle. She cast an accusing eye toward the pair, "Tch. Turned me back didn't ya? Got more sorcery in you than she does under that mask of yours, boy."

"I-I suppose, but..." Ewan shrunk from her gaze, looking to Angel for support. He hated to admit it but the whole thing was a fluke. He'd probably get them all killed if they had to rely on him in a real wizard's duel.

Angel glared and stood between the witch and the boy.

"We are NOT here for YOUR fight," her voice rang strong, as did her stance, even as she felt a lump of ice weigh down her gut.  "You are free thanks to us, and so is my friend. I think that means we are even."

The sorceress gritted her teeth, "As you wish, girl, though I think I'll be saving your hides much as you saved mine." The white-haired witch clutched the shears with purpose and stalked off down the winding tunnel and back toward the well.

"Glad she appreciated the help..." Ewan smiled weakly at Angel, "We'd better get moving. That's the only way out, I guess, we can climb while they fight or... something."

The boy took her hand, tugging her toward the tunnel.

Angel's frown deepened.
"Yeah.... a reunion will sure to be enough of a surprise for both." But as they followed Mierion, Angel whispered, "Just don't let your guard down. Although this witch is helping us, if she's cut from the same stock as that other one, we'd better run while we can."

It didn't seem to take long to get back to the well, and so there wasn't a lot of time for Angel to recover any of her nerves. Either way, she paused a moment beneath it, long after Mierion began her ascent and drew in a deep breath.

"Kid.. if things get crazy.. just run, okay?" she said, still staring at the rungs. "You're small and fast, and just keeping going until you get to the next town." ANd she paused, before adding, "And I'll get your dog." It was the least she could do for him. And before he could protest, she hefted up her skirts and began to climb.

"I'm not leaving you! And I wasn't lying about what I am; stand a better chance against those two than you anyway!" Ewan hissed up after Angel. Between the excitement of fleeing their captor and the alien draft of wearing a skirt the boy hadn't the time to consider how slick the ladder was, or how high up he was...

By the time Angel emerged from the well, Ewan not far behind, they heard raised voices across the meadow and anfiertbroar not long after. A stream of fire leapt from Old Mara's fingertips, but simply parted around a cackling Meirion.

The boy yelped in surprise, nearly losing his footing, as he he struggled over the well's rim.

"Hes at the stable!"

Angel shot him a look.
"You really should stay here,"s he warned. She bit her lip, glancing just briefly at the color filled fight. Then she grabbed Erwin by the hand. "Come on."

Dragging him along, she kept them low but moved as fast as they were able to, making quick work to the stable, where she cursed.
"Of course the old witch has got it locked."
Standing up, she glared at the door. "We haven't got the time for this." And held onto her skirts and began kicking at it heavily with her boots.

Ewan's eyes darted to and fro in search of tools to break the door. There were none; probably all locked in the stable. Ramshackle as the farm was, Angel's booted foot was no match for an inch of old oak. The hinges rattled just a bit, but it would be an ordeal.

Enough of this! Ewan reminded himself. I am a WIZARD! "For gods' sake! I'll handle it!" And the boy drew back and murmured an invocation. It was a deep and guttural verse, meant for a low pitch his voice couldn't reach. It would make him stronger than a grown man.

A green nimbus engulfed the boy. Muscle bulged from his wiry arms and skinny body, stretching the petticoat to its limit. For a brief moment he looked like a little barbarian chieftain, then it went all wrong. Ewan fell to his knees with a sharp cry and his features began to contort. Arms lengthened, brow sloped, shaggy hair grew shaggier.

Ewan staggered to his feet in shock, though he could only hunch, looking feral and simian.

ANgel stumbled back.
"Ewan- wait!" she shouted. "Are you sure that's a good-"
But too late, green engulfed the boy and Angel took a step back, arms infront of her protectively as if anticipating the worst. But what she hadn't anticipated was the boy's transformation into-
She howled and leaped back.
"Ewan.. you're..!"

And inside the barn the dog gave a howl as well, paws banging and clawing the wood.
Angel was still speechless, gaping.

"You're..."
Then anger rushed through her veins as she gripped her hands into fists.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!? YOU'RE JUST A KID! STOP TRYING TO USE MAGIC TO BE A HERO! LOOK WHAT IT'S DONE TO YOU! YOU"RE A HAIRY BEAST!"

Ewan chewed his lip, shrinking away from Angel liked a chastened dog. He scratched his back rudely. "Am sorry," his speech was halting; he blushed, "Stronger. See? Turn back in hour."

The beast-boy loped toward the door, walking on all fours. He had muscles, but Angel was right that the spell was a complete mess. His fur could attest to that. "DOOR!" he grunted and began tugging at the hinge and lock. Around the third tug the already loose screws pulled free from the rotted door.

The stable swung open and Shaggy barked excitedly and bounded out, at least as far as his tether would allow, happily jumping up on angel and slobbering over her ruined dress. The dog gave a cursory growl to the feral-looking child. Ewan darted back with a frightened yelp, casting a sour look to the girl and the dog. "Spell worked," he muttered sulkily, and looked around the stable.

It seemed Mara hadn't kept animals in a while, and was more of a junk room than a place for animals. There was the stolen horse, who was looking a bit spooked; shelves preserved fruit; old farm tools; an old hunting bow; and several crates and trunks stacked atop one-another...

"Ugh- YUCK!" Shaggy was a bit too excited for Angel's taste, and she unceremoniously shoved the slobbery fur ball aside. However, upon seeing him prickle in response to the changed Ewan, she rolled her eyes and groaned, snatching the dog by his scruff.

"That's your master!" she scolded, pointing a stiff finger at Ewan. "Though he looks as hairy as you." she pointed out, "I'm sure you can still smell that boy in their somewhere." She eased up her grip on Shaggy, though the dog didn't seem to believe Angel, his lips curling a bit in a snarl. Angel sighed again.

"Look, you're scaring both the animals. The horse would be a perfect way to get the hell out of here- but I'd be afraid it'd buck us off."
As if it's anxious, stomping in place wasn't obvious enough.
"Do we really have to wait an hour for this thing to wear off?"

"Powerful spell. Will try." Ewan grunted, the feral boy's eyes darting around the stable. Taking a wide breadth around the dog and horse he loped toward the preserved peaches, sniffing at them. "Should steal from cottage. Need supplies, righ-"

A wave of dizziness crept over Ewan. He staggered back, dropping the peaches into some straw. Then the beast-boy let forth a loud sneeze. Fur-went flying, claws retracted, and muscle melted away. A scrawny ten-year-old, albeit one with slightly pointed ears, remained. Stupid spell only lasted five minutes!

"Well you got your wish! And for everyone's complaining about my spell it got us in here!" the boy pouted indignantly, even giving the dog a sour look. "I can still do things. And I haven't lied about what I am!

"Sorry. Let's steal some food. Maybe we could get blankets and cloaks from the house... if you trust them. My pack's in there too so we'll need to fetch it."

She couldn't believe what she was sneezing. In a sneeze the boy had returned, and Angel found herself grimacing. No words were spoken as Ewan went on his little tantrum, though his dog did whine a little, tail wagging low between his legs, uncertainly. Then Angel furrowed her brow and snatched onto his wrist.

"What are you crazy?!" she could have given him a good shake, but who knew if more fur would fall out! "We're not going back in there! Just leave it! We should be happy we're as far away as we are. Look.." she went on, her other hand now placed on his shoulder, her other, loosening on his wrist. "We got the horse, you're dog and we're both not dead and wearing cursed clothing."

That's when she nearly laughed.
"Quick, put on the petite coat, or what's left of it, and let's get the hell outta here!"

"But my book and my notes are all in there!" he shrieked. "I need them to try the summoning! It's important!" Then Angel grabbed his arm and he suddenly felt very small. He certainly wasn't going anywhere. The boy withered under gaze. He might've argued if he hadn't been up for over 24 hours and his feet weren't aching.

"...fine. Only because I don't want you to get hurt." He did feel a twinge responsible for Angel, even though the girl had it in her head it was the other way around.

And then Angel started laughing. Ewan turned beat red at the realization he was naked. "You could've said something!" The boy stomped over to the torn petticoat and turned it over in his hands. It was ruined like the rest of the gown, though still frilly. He wrapped it underneath himself and bound it with a bit twine, forming a loin cloth. "I still look like some dirty savage!"

"I guess you don't mind about the dress anymore? Ought to find some real clothes and stuff in case it gets cold..."

Outside a loud explosion shook the ground, following what sounded like... the roar of a great cat? Ewan hastily moved to stuff the saddle bags with preserves and straw to keep the jars from breaking.

"You're magic is lousy, Ewan!" Angel snapped. "I'm sure you can figure that out later." Away from her and where it was safer to do so! "And I'll worry about proper attire when we're in the clear. You want to keep your skin, don't ya?"

THe explosion made her leap near out of her skin, and she moved to grab the horse's reins.
"That's good enough. Come on!" And she moved a foot into the stirrup, then threw herself up and onto the horse, a hand down to Ewan.

"It works fine!" Ewan huffed and took Angel's hand, half-climbing and half-pulled up the saddle by his fore-arm and nestled between Angel's arms. The dog barked happily as the trio left the stable. Across the field there was a cacophony of light and sound as the witches continued their duel.

"The book's important. Its got a spell that-" the boy was suddenly distracted as he saw a pair of yellow saucers in the dark. They all did. It was the house cat prowling through the tall grass. Now it was the size of a lion, and making a throaty growl. "-GO!"

The four of them likely had the same idea at once, or at least the horse did, as they went galloping down the dirt path and back toward the main road.

(OOC: Shall we continue in the Draconi Forest?)

As they were making their escape, an unseen gold spider buried itself beneath the boy's tattered clothes, perching, listening, waiting. It was several hours before the horse would slow and began to grow antsy for a rest and a munch of grass. Angel directed the horse off the road, eyes searching for a source of water until she dismounted at the sight of a small, meandering stream.

"Hey, kid," she went on, shaking his shoulder. "You should drink too. We'll rest quickly, but I think we should press on."

OOC: Sorry for the delay on replying!  I was thinking of a good transition but this is all I got for now :T
We could start a new thread, in reply to your question, or just keep using this one unless they end up leaving this particular territory all together. Who knows, they might find themselves back in Arca on accident! (or against their will!)

[Take your time! And I guess we can just stick with the current thread! Probably better to keep the story in one thread than hack it up because of scene changes. And I guess they can end up anywhere! Looking forward to what the spider brings...]

"Huh?" Ewan stirred from his sleep when Angel shook him. He blushed, realizing he slept in the crook of her arm the whole way. The boy slid down from the horse and stretched, rudely scratching his backside. Something tickled. But the little gold spider simply relocated to another fold in his makeshift loincloth.

They didn't even have proper waterskins, so he cupped his hands and drank greedily. Reflections of Draconi's impossibly large and ancient trees were visible in the little brook. No doubt housing nests of  of wyvern and giant owls. It would have been a pretty sight if not for Angel in a filthy dress, and Ewan looking half-feral. How were they going to survive out here?

"Does anyone live out here?" he cracked a small smile and looked to the road, which turned from cobblestones to dirt and dust. "Or did your brothers teach you how to camp and stuff at least?"

There was no way they'd make it to La'marri like this. And he didn't even have his book anymore...

Angel drank some more before wiping off the excess on the back of her hand. She studied him a moment before nodding and standing. Hands on her hips, she observed the area around them, musing, "I can't say I'm familiar with this area. Most dirt roads look the same. But don't worry about camping. Iv'e had my share. I did tell you my family sells dragons for a living, didn't I? And sometimes the job requires travel." And at that, her grin grew catty. "Which meant sleeping out beneath the stars and fishing in the river." At such an idea, her stomach growled and she actually laughed as she patted it.

"Fishing sounds like a good idea, though I doubt we could cobble together any sort of useful fishing rod. Besides.." she looked at the water and gave it a light kick. "I"m pretty sure all that's in here are minnows- and even those you could just catch with your hands. I guess we could try that and call it a snack?" she jested, giving the boy a lop sided grin.

"Dragons sound expensive. I'm sure you had tents. Wagons. Servants to build fires," he grinned impishly for emphasis. He did wonder if the tomboyishness was all bravado or if she could get a campfire built.. he wasn't very good at it.

And then a sudden cringe of horror painted itself across Ewan's face at the suggestion. They were steps away from living like animals. "My luck I'll squish one and get a handful of guts. Though I could try and summon up a berry bush," he mumbled in a small voice, knowing what her answer would be.

The boy looked up and down the road. La'marri and the answers it held was so close... and so far... But it would be safer to return. Safer for him and especially safer for Angel. He opened his mouth to tell the truth... and shut it again just as fast.

Angel rolled her eyes then grabbed the boy's hand, giving it a tug.
"Come on, kid. No magic, but I'd be up for some berry hunting! If anything, berries should be well in season now!" Or so she hoped.

"If you let me get my book I could do it properly," he pouted. Letting himself get dragged out of there hadn't gone so well. "And I'm tired."

But they needed food as much as sleep. They combed the stream hand in hand, finding a few scrubby blackberry bushes offering the odd morsel. Shaggy padded after them but mostly barked at fish. No one noticed the little golden spider. The stream eventually diverged from the road and they wandered deeper and deeper into the forest.

And then they saw it.

It was a large pant, nearly five-feet tall. Its branches were long and twisted, but lacking in leaves, odd for summer. Lush, many-hued fruit hung grew from it.

"Well there's... something. But what the hell is it?" Ewan said with a mixture of disgust and aw. It was pretty, but in an alien sort of way.

Angel had seen it now too, and was staring at it in awe.
"Must be some wild fruit.... I can't say I know what the heck it is." She dared to get near to it, uncaring for the leaflessness of it as she dared to pluck a fruit as she held it up towards the sky to examine it with whatever light the forest's allowed.

Then she turned from the tree and sat down on a nearby fallen log and said, "Let's cut it open and see what it tastes like. Hopefully not turnip's... " she smirked over at the boy as she moved to dig her finger's into the fruit to rip a piece of it off. "I don't like turnip's."

"Wait-" Ewan shouted. Angel snatched the fruit before he could stop her. Nothing happened, but the plant didn't look right at all.  The fruit itself was green and squishy like a ripe plum. When Angel tore it in two, it ruptured in a spray of sweet-smelling juice.

"You don't eat your vegetables and you scold me for table manners?" the boy cracked a slight smile, sitting beside her.

"You know. There are plants in Kishahn that eat animals. Some don't even need sun. You really should be careful" he lectured in a haughty tone. Both could hear his stomach growl.

She held the juice dripping fruit pieces before shoving some into the boy's hand.
"Does it look like we're in the jungle?" She rolled her eyes. "Really, kid, we're starving. We found fruit. Just eat up."
And she bit into her half herself and nearly choked.

"This thing's juicy!" she went on, cupping a hand under her chin to catch the dribbling juices. "But it ain't bad!"

"I guess not. Just really old and big forest filled with dragons and all sorts of beasts. No chance of man-eating plants through," the boy smirked. He took the fruit in both hands and took a bite, letting the juice stream down his face. It was delicious.

"Tastes like a plum, kinda." he murmured between bites. Whether or not he was ever going to grow up, his body was greedy for nourishment (judging by the baby fat which clung to him). He tossed the core aside and scurried over to pick another.

Minutes into their lunch the pair began to feel full and unnaturally tired, strange given their brief nap on horseback. Ewan, who'd eaten three, quietly slumped against Angel.

The fruit was a heavenly change of pace after all the pair had endured thus far. And though tired, she tried to stifle her yawn, but was having a hard time fighting off how heavy her eye lids felt.

"You think it's safe if we rest here a while?" she asked, yawning again. She had enough strength to peer over at her companion, who was already asleep beside her-
And soon, so was she.

And when they'd awake, they were in a much different surrounding, in a location she couldn't even begin to guess. But the air reeked of the earth, and because of the dim lighting, she could only deduce they were perhaps underground. But when she went to move, she cried as she tried over the coils that bound her limbs, and found herself falling overtop of Ewan.

Cursing, she wriggled to get off the boy and gave him a cake.
"Ewan!" She gave him another kick as she hissed, "Hey.. wake up!"

"Uh... wh..." Ewan stirred softly, face sticky from the fruit. The boy was wrapped in a coccoon of vines and detritus. It was warm and comfortable and the first kick hadn't woken him. But the second did.

"Ow! What?! I'm awake..." he snapped, trying to wriggle free of vines. "What the hells?! Untie me!" Shaggy whined nearby, also caught in the tendrils. The slowly crept tighter and tighter around their prey...

The burrow was warm and earthy. Dim sunlight filtered through a whole in the ceiling, allowing Ewan and Angel to just make out the rest of the underground chamber. Its walls and floor were covered in a thatch of root and vine. At the very center of the burrow was the base of a tree or bush which surely sprang from the ground above them. The roots at the base were twisted into what 'vaguely' resembled a human face...

OOC: My phone typos from my last post were hilarious XD

---

"Untie you?" Angel snapped. "This ain't the time to get funny! We're both in a prickly pickle here!"
But as her eyes searched the room and she stumbled across the figure, or at least when she realized the roots resembled a human face, she was gasping, and then doubly so when the eyes opened and seemed to stare right at them.

"Oh mother of the Gods.." There was no way she was going to die here, and by some creepy root person. So she struggled harder. But then the roots moved, one of them curling around the young boy's boot.

Angel gasped, "Ewan!" And she feebly tried to shove the living root away from him.

(OOC: Cake and a kick... such mixed signals)

Ewan shrieked kicked violently as a thin vine coiled about his left foot. Fortunately, Angel was able to crush it to a pulpy mess with her gem-studded shoe. Both, however, felt the thin vines tighten around their body and begin to tug.

"Okay! I've got another spell! the boy cried out, worming a hand out of the vines to hold onto Angel. "Its a shapechange. It won't hurt anything!"

"Na'sci-" Ewan was in the midst of uttering the words when the vines tightened sharply around his midsection. He meant to turn into a great big wood-boring beetle. Instead, the spell escaped and a nimbus of green fire filled the burrow. The tree sneered and withdrew its tendrils; Angel, Ewan, and shaggy were bathed in the spell to varying degrees.

"D-don't panic!" Ewan wheezed, pondering what the haywire magic would do and to whom. He already felt a slight tingle around his fingers and toes, now tinted green and sprouting claws.

The second she realized what Ewan was about to do, she screamed. But her protests were lost. The moment happened in such a frenzy she was already coughing up the green spores of magic. Clutching onto her throat, she fell onto her side, her skin zinging at the sensation of the magic seeming to breath it's way through her. And she felt her bones shift, odd, but not painful as she emerged in a gag of raspy breath as some sort of human, just the hint left of herself, with green skin and pincher like claws akin to that of a preying mantis or some sort, and a strange hybrid of moth wings that were quite.... not.

They look malformed if anything, and as he moved and realized, she could move her wings too, she nearly fainted.

"E-Ewan!" she squealed, scrambling to stand but her head was dizzy and she slowly began to loose her footing, falling right ontop of Shaggy- or had turned into a rather large sized hard shelled beetle. Well, a beetle that could bark.

"Ruff!"

Shrieking again,s he  threw herself away from the dog beetle and turned around then to see Ewan, who only had her screaming again.
"EWAN! WHAT DID YOU DO TO US!?"

"I'm trying to save us!" he snapped at Angel, then offered an apologetic cringe. At least her human face was visible, but the rest... "Uh- sorry. I can fix you."

Ewan was knocked back by the blast and tried to stand up. His legs, alas, felt strange and numb. From the waste down he was a giant slug, and the rest of him was tinted green-brown and coated in mucus. He groaned.

The man-eating tree was unaffected by the magic and had regained its courage. More vines slithered toward the trio. With a raspy snarl the dog-beetle plowed into them, teeth and mandibles cutting the tendris to ribbons. The tree twisted its face into a defiant sneer, raising its thicker roots defensively. It seemed to mumble something. Perhaps a spell? A call to some hidden allies?

"You can yell later! RUN!" Ewan pointed toward the pointed toward the sunlight opening. The irony wasn't lost as the boy; his slug-body wriggling along at a frustrating pace. He didn't dare try to undo the spell - it worked on Shaggy at least.

She wasn't a fool. Running was the best idea he had yet! Except as she rushed past him, she stumbled to a halt and groaned, rolling her eyes at his form. She was quick to return to his side and cringed as she tried to push him along.
"Ugh! Come on! You need to move faster!"

"No, I'd rather move slower!" Ewan huffed as Angel jabbed his back, finally opting opting to drag himself through the dirt using his hands. From that vantage he noticed how crushed bones litered the floor. It was mostly animals, though he caught the toothy grin of a human skull out of the corner of his eye.

An eternity seemed to pass before Angel and the slugboy reached the mouth of the cave. Shaggy was enthusiastically grapling with the roots. The tree continued its spell as amber-colored mist filled the hollow, glittering resin clinging to just about everything...

"Shaggy come on!" Ewan urged the beetle-dog, trying to attract his attention.

They weren't out of the clear yet, and with a frustrated growl, ANgel moved to grab onto Ewan's hands and worked at dragging him clean out of the mouth of the cave.
"Forget the dog! We're going to be tree food if we don't get the hell away from here!"

"Wait! I can counter the spell-" Ewan managed to almost slip away from Angel's grip, though he couldn't wriggle very far before she grabbed him again. The vapor around the cave-mouth began to clear. The walls were shiny with a glint of amber, and the hollow was deathly silent. He let her drag him the rest of the way until they reached the bank of the stream, which looked no more than a trickle next to the old-growth treetrunks.

"It will wear off in a few minutes. I hope," he tried to straighten his posture, awkardly balancing. It was hard to look Angel in the eye; the chitinous claws and ragged moth wings did not make her a pretty sight. Ewan's wiped his eyes self consciously. His throat burned. "And thanks. I guess I got... attached to him. Stupid dog."

It wasn't the first time a dog died protecting its master. That didn't take the sting away. It didn't mean worse couldn't happen. "Angel I think we should go back. I-I... don't want you to die, too."

Angel froze at the reality was what occurred. And her stomach dropped, veins chilling. She grit her teeth and tried not to look back, wondering... waiting...
Maybe the boy was wrong. No,t he dog couldn't be dead. That wicked tree...
He was trying to protect them.

She shook it off, and fought back any tears. ANd she forced herself to stand again.
"No, we can't go back."

"Its pretty far to La'marri and its anderous and!" Ewan sighed sharply and hung his head. "I don't got- I don't have 'family' there. There's a faerie I need to summon. Its not worth this. I'm sure your ma will forgive you."

The boy squirmed uncomfortably and  whispered a counterspell to try and reverse the transformations...

Angel's eyes went wide as she lunged at Ewan to try to stop him.
"What are you doing!? Are you nuts!?"

Ewan was nearly finished the reversal spell when Angel yanked him aside. He tried to wriggle away but was far too slow slow. The whole affair went up in smoke. Perhaps if she were lucky she'd have been struck by it.

"What are you doing?!" he snapped haughtily, "I was gonna do a reversal so we'd turn back faster! I know what I'm doing. Don't really fancy being a slug you know."

"And I wanted to talk and-" he cracked a tiny smile, "I can't take you serious like that."

Angel gasped and gave the slug boy a shove.
"You're one to talk!" But soon she felt the glittering effects of the spell. Gasping, she tried to brush it off. "Do you even listen to yourself?! Its your novice magic getting us all crazy shaped!"

"We escaped didn't we? And fine, fine. I won't do any spells. We'll stay this way." Ewan gave Angel a fierce look at the shove, lip quivering. "And I told you I ain't- I'm not really a kid!"

The slugboy inched back toward the stream and the horse, sulking. "You really think we can survive to La'marri?"

The remnants of the spell sent a tingle down Angel's arms. The chitinous pincers cracked and shifted back to something resembling hands...

She threw her arms up, exasperated.
"Oh, enough with it already! You're a novice in so many things and I'm just barely an adult here! We're both fools as far as the world sees it and I'm not about to let myself get caught up into another unfortunate mess!"

She was so upset, she was shaking. Growling,s he turned from him and tried to calm herself down, hands raking through her hair.

"At least I didn't have to get married," she muttered, still not realizing her hands were back to normal, and even the green tint of her skin was disappearing.

She wilted.
"Let's.. let's just keep moving. To someplace... anywhere but here."
Any place seemed safer than this cursed place.

"If you're afraid of getting married and want an adventure you're going to need to trust me! Where we're going there's only going to be more-" Ewan cut himself off. More magic.

The pair meandered along the stream. Ewan kept lagging behind. Rather than point out his success with Angel, and offer to turn back, the boy kept their pace slow for spite. He was cross at her for not listening. Finally, their crude camp came into view. The horse was waiting. "You said your family traded in dragons. Got any friends or places we can stop for supplies at least? Little inns along the road?"

There were no more cobblestones. Just a well-trodden swath of dirt.

Angel turned to the boy who was moving too slow for her liking and walked clean up to him with a glare.
"Don't speak trust and marriage in the same sentence, kid," she went on, and pinched his arm. "Now move quicker and think of better ideas! We can't go to my parent's connections!" She shook her head. "They'd send people out for us for sure."

No, no! If anything, the pair needed to avoid all that.

"Hardly as if you've even been married..." Ewan mumbled.

The boy yelped at her prodding. "And another thing! I've changed you back! Can I fix myself without you bugging me?!" he meant to stomp his foot for emphasis. Instead his new 'tail' thumped the ground with a splat. He cringed.

"Alright, alright. My family is in Ravensway though I don't fancy seeing them like this. Not till I summon this faerie to put things right." Ewan crossed his arms. The irony of his own avoided homecoming was lost. "Maybe we can make it to La'marri... said you know how to camp out here?"

"I know enough to know it would have been hell," she told him sharply, but she blinked and looked down at herself. "Hey.." she cracked a smile. "What do you know... I am back to normal."
Giddy that she was no longer some half monster thing, she walked away from him and said over her shoulder. "Sure, sure, go ahead and give it a try. Just keep the magic away from me now, alright kid?"

Ewan slithered back a ways from Angel and recited the shapechanger's verse again. He did it slowly and careful. The slugboy shivered and twitched; first the legs came, then his tail melted back into something more human. He near-skipped back to the horse in celebration, making effort to hide smirk.

"Let's not mention this ever again, alright?"

The petticoat was torn and slick with mucus, just about preserving his modesty. Angel's wedding dress was in even poorer shape. "Let's just find a farm, any farm, and get some clothes and blankets? They can't all be run by sorcerers - unless you're able to tan a hide out here."

Angel gave him a look.
"Fat chance.I'm a dragon farmer, remember?" Even still, her eyes looked towards the road ahead.
"I guess we look pitiful enough... yeah, a kind family of farmers might help us." She made a face. "You know, if they're not like my family."

Then again, she wasn't sure if her family would refuse a person in need. It did feel as if they were oblivious to other people's needs outside of their own. You know, like their daughter's needs!

"Come on kid, we've got a ways to go," and she mounted the horse and offered him a hand, but paused, blinking at his form before blushing. "Yeah..." she looked him over again and tried nto to laugh. "You... might want to consider walking for a while. can't imagine it'd be much fun, even for a young boy, to ride pantless on a horse."

"Don't suppose  you can coax out a friendly dragon to fly us there?" Ewan cracked a smirk peered about Draconi Forest taking in the enormity of its trees and plant life. Surely there were all sorts of wyrms and serpents out here...

The boy turned an alarming shade of red. "Guess riding like this wouldn't be a good idea..." He waggled a finger and scurried behind a tree. There came the sound of ripping and tearing as he tries to fashion the ruined skirt into a frilly loin cloth. He thought it seemed appropriately masculine. "Suppose I look a proper urchin now. And sorry, the frills itched. You're not wanting this back anyway, yeah?" Ewan offered a sheepish smirk.

Ewan scurried to keep pace with the horse, who seemed content despite the savage wilderness. Perhaps he'd trotted this road? It was a comforting thought. He felt naked and unsafe out here... in several ways.

They walked and walked until it was late afternoon. It was late afternoon when thick plumes of smoke rose in the distance. Ewan's tummy, stomach he meant, rumbled. The boy hoped it was an inn.

Angel shot a look his way, but sighed and gave a shake of her head and roll of her eyes at his comment of the garb being itchy.

"Just be glad you're not a rich noblewoman, they seem to wear this stuff all the time." She made a face, a very disgusted face at the very idea. "And their hair all done up fancy and wearing so much perfume they reek just as much as the field of cowpies or dragon dung."

At that, she gave a cruel little smile at the irony of it all. "They say their perfumes are made of piss." She giggled, snorted a little, before cupping a hand over her nose to try to calm that down. She looked to Ewan and gave a shrug. "What? You don't think that's funny? And what's with asking me about dragons? I said my family are dragon farmers, not... Dragon hunters. And even if I wanted to find some dragon, which I don't, do you even realize how many types of dragons are out in these types of woods alone?"

And it was the perfect cue, cause a sharp, shrieking cry somewhere off int he distance echoed over head, and Angel paused to look skyward.

"We.. should probably keep walking, come on." And she took the horse's reins and moved forward. She didn't feel safe on or off the horse, but she couldn't j ust leave the twerp defenseless on the ground and half wearing her wedding dress.

"I suppose everything is grimy if you look close enough. But, I guess its the illusion that counts. Frills and perfume make a prettier picture than straggly hair and mudcaked rags," he cracked a tiny smile. "Its why I became a sorcerer you know, to make all the little fibs I tel myself true."

"And if you raise them can't you ride them?" the boy cocked an eye. "And why shouldn't I be curious? I had them figured too proud to just be raised in captivity." She was right, Ewan supposed, he didn't know a thing about them.

"Wait! Was that-?" panic crossed the boy's face and he edged toward the trees. "You heard that, right?"

The screech came again. This time it was just up the road; much louder and closer to earth. Then came a loud crash, frightful shouting from men, and the bleating cry of a panicked ox.

"Oh?" she raised a brow, still anxious as she continued to peek skyward every other step. "So you wanted to be a magician so you could become a professional liar?" At that she had to laugh. "Like that lie you keep tellin' about you're age?" She couldn't help but jab that one back at him. She'd never let the squirt live that one down.

But her little smirk vanished the moment she heard the trouble coming ahead. She moved to stand infront of the boy and scowled.

"Stay here with the horse. I'll go check it out."

"No!" The boy groaned in frustration and threw up his arms. "And I don't even know if you're teasing anymore!"

Next thing he new Angel was creeping ahead. "Wait I can protect-" Ewan scurried after and came to a halt,  toddling back beside  the horse. The look she shot him said no.

***

Angel caught sight of a loose wagon wheel as she rounded the bend. There was an acrid stench in the air, and the wreckage of a posh caravan strewn about the road. An enormous scaly shape was curled over the remains of an ox, feasting greedily. A javelin protruded awkwardly from the creature's haunch.

There were no signs of the caravaneers or of human remains. And the drake hadn't yet noticed the girl through the trees, though dragons' noses are keen as their eyes...

Angel hadn't excepted that. It was the last thing she saw after scanning the scene for clues. It seemed the wreckage was almost an hour old, or so she thought- seeing as no people (or potential robbers) were seen.

Maybe it was because she was used to working with dragons that seeing the drake didn't set off any alarm bells- that was until she realized what it was eating. She couldn't be certain that it was the reason for this mess, but if it was- it was the last thing she'd want to do in confronting it. Wild animals of any kind were unpredictable.

She snarled silently and took a slow step backwards, then another-

But keen on smelling and keen hearing seemed to be this creatures specialty. And before Angel knew it, the creature had about faced and wasn't wasting anytime- and she found herself frozen in shock as it began to charge her.

The drake let out an ear-piercing screech as it bounded toward the stunned Angel. The beast made it part way through the clearing before it keeled forward, stumbling, as the javelin cut deeper. Perhaps it bought her a few seconds to run or climb, but would they matter?

Ewan froze when he heard the shriek again. Whatever it was it was big. The boy rooted about the saddlebag until he found his grimoire. What did Angel know to make him stand around, anyway? Angel might have seen the boy scampering up the road, keeping to the treeline.

His eyes widened as he came upon the scene.

She couldn't have known how lucky she was for the distraction, the animal, having fallen over due to the weight of it's wound. It bought her enough time to get the hell out of the way, her mind still reeling. Seeing the way the javelin was wedged into the animals body, she was sure it was in a lot of pain- and mad. But even seeing the creature as it were, she couldn't help but feel bad for it. She knew that wound would hurt like hell, and remembered when she tended to her own parent's dragons and one had gotten wounded on the broken fence post....


But was this creature friend or foe? If it attacked the wagon, it got what it deserved, however, if it was part of the caravan... Quick thinking made her second guess the wound. Who would just carry a javelin when traveling in this sort of manner? It didn't look like a trapper's cart, or even the wagon of some type of soldier, or men for hire. No, there was no sign of other weapons...

So was the drake just a victim? If so, it could trust humans; or at least she hoped. And if it was trustworthy...
A drake would be a worthy asset..
Assuming it wasn't going to eat her!

The creature made such pained cries Angel decided she was at least going to try to help it, and with fists tight at her sides, she approached the creature, using calming gestures and coaxes when she neared. At first, the creature didn't seem to protest her getting near- but then when her shadow fell over him, the drake bucked and knocked Angel into a near by tree, before it stomped a few more painful feet away.

Ewan crouched in a bush debating what to do. He could try and turn it into a toad! Or make vines snare it! Or- or what was Angel doing?

The drake whirled to face Angel as she approached, hackles raised, snarling. She could smell the acrid stench of its venomous spittle. The beast reared back as though ready to bite but suddenly stopped, lowering his head to meet her gaze. Perhaps he was domestic after all, and responded to the handling? Maybe he sensed her intent? Or a little human, with no metal scales or teeth, was more of a curiosity than a threat? A long tongue flicked the air nearby, tasting her scent.

A glint of metal caught the boy's eye - something on the drake's tail - a golden band! Someone owned the beast. That made things so much simpler. Angel would calm it down, he could bind the wound, and they'd have a new pet!

"Okay! You keep him calm and I'll mend him!" Ewan yelled, scurrying from the brush.

Angel refused to move, eyes wide.
"What!?" she winced when her voice almost had the drake scampering away again. She shook her head.
"What are you thinking of? Ewan..." Did the kid not really know he wasn't that good enough of a mage!?

The drake looked from Ewan to Angel, grunting in surprise as the boy scrambled forward. They were willful beasts at the best of times. There was no telling how this one might behave.

"I'm going to fix him. Just keep him still yeah?" Ewan shrugged, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. The little sorcerer flipped open his book and began to recite a long series of nonsense rhymes. Green vapor trailed from his fingertips. Perhaps if it worked the pain would be dulled - at least enough to yank out the javelin.

Oh no. It was a good fit above his head. Deeper in than an arrow too, and scales didn't give so much as skin. "Oh, heck. Someone's got to yank it out. I don't think I can reach."

She saw the green on his finger tips and went white.
"EWAN!" she squeaked, distracted enough that she didn't realize the drake sensed the power, too, and bucked- just enough to whack itself up underneath Angel's jaw- and to make her bite her tongue.

Shocked from the pain, Angel stumbled back as the drake continued to scramble to get away from the pair. Angel had a hand over her mouth, afraid she might have bit her tongue clean off! Even if not... she new she was now swallowing at least a bit of blood after that one, and swore between her teeth once she was certain he hadn't done any permanent damage.

"Ewan just stay back!" she commanded, scrambling after the drake and corner the poor creature once again. Her hands were up, signaling to it to calm, that she had nothing hostile or volatile in her grip, lik ea whip or the likes. But the poor thing was upset and in pain, and had backed itself up against a bramble brush, which it seemed the creature was only just figuring out that was a bad idea as it winced back, thorns now sticking out of it's side.

Angel rolled her eyes.
"I wish I knew a spell to keep you from casting spells!" she growled, and slowly, began to approach the drake again when something caught her eye. They were near a fruit tree.

"Hey.. Ewan... I know how you can make yourself useful. See those fruits over there? The yellow ones? They're wild nama-berries. Pick some, would ya? They ought to make the drake tired if we can get her to eat some..."

Assuming they could even get her to come close enough. Damn. What were they going to do? Angel chewed on her lower lip as she watched the drake cower still and claw whinily at the thorns.
Great, wounded and now getting thorns stuck in it's skin. Those would be damn tough to remove- assuming this whole plan worked!

"Ewan!" What was taking the boy so long!?