Strangers have Secrets (Tag: Clever-fox)

[Tande]

It was a lovely enough day to make the journey from his small hut within the forests that surrounded La'marri to the village to buy some supplies.  Soaps, mostly, an incredibly important thing for the typically hermit of a mage, considering he couldn't stand the smell of sweat that stuck to him on a Summer's day.  Food was another thing - but he found himself not particularly hungry lately - though that was nothing new with his ageless life.  He had devoured enough meals to feed an army and then some in his entire life, and everything that touched his tongue seemed absolutely dull and tasteless because of it.  Or maybe it was his lack of ability in the kitchen.

Either way, he'd spend the morning traveling, ignoring the growls and groans of the forest that he called home.  Unseen monsters didn't scare him, not when he had seen quite a bit of things in his hay days.

The sight of the village made him pick up his steps, towing along some jingling of coin, copper and gold, and some silver pieces of jewelry he hoped to sell without arising suspicion.  The woman who wore it 'disappeared' decades ago, and it was about time that he sold them off.

Either way, he'd make for a shop to pawn it off, and then take his earnings to the supply depot - buying a bulk of soap, oats and rice, and some other trinkets.  Taking those bags, he made his way to the butcher, asking for some of the oddest parts of an animal claiming he was not one to let things go to waste.  The half bespectacled curly haired man didn't seem too out of normality to raise a stir - this was a mage village after all, and got what he needed and then made for the forest again, quickly realizing...

My, I bought a little too much, didn't I...

He had to pause and get a grip on what he had in his hands, struggling to keep it from falling.  Stumbling towards the square and hopefully a place to sit and regain his hold on his bags and such, Persi found himself knocking against a rather lithe figure.

"Ah, apologies, my dear, I didn't see you there..."  and upon closer inspection, "my deer."

[Klezmer Gryphon]

There was a distinct clop sound as the cloaked figure walked through the town square. Anyone who wasn't looking would've dismissed it as wooden shoes, but anyone who knew her would say otherwise. She strolled though the streets, talking, gossiping, even buying a gift for her friend. Such was her time in the main square of La'Marri.

Granted, the town square of La'Marri was a lively place, full of people and creatures of all backgrounds, and Liarri was no exception. Being of a race of deer people, she felt most at home here, amid the colorful crowd that called the village home. And, even in a colorful crowd, one can expect to bump into someone else.

In Liarri's case, she was looking at a rather skinny man, with a curly bush on top of his head, and a rather scraggly beard. And, what's more, he looked like he needed help with his groceries!

"It's quite fine. Do you need help with those?" She asked, taking a bit of the man's load so he didn't have to carry so much.

[Tande]

His eyes gleamed at the chance presented here.  A curious woman who hadn't been sent sprawling, nor fearfully clopping away like the deer he saw in the forest.  Perhaps she wasn't the same flighty creature.

Either way, he'd unload a few bags into her arms with a pleasant grin, showing white teeth.  "Oh, my, what a helpful little doe you are."  The bags that he shoved into her hands seemed awkwardly heavy, especially at the bottom - heavy, moist bags of meat and bricks of soap.  "It seems the shopaholic in me went a little crazy at the shop here in town."

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Liarri smiled, and took the bags. She was slightly disgusted by the meat, but she tries not to show it.

"Well, I think we all get that way sometimes!" She said with a laugh. Liarri has had her fair share of shopaholic moments, and certainly has had to ask for help on more than one occasion, so she knew how this man probably felt.

"If I may ask, why do you have..." She sniffed the bag, "...these organs? It's quite disgusting, in my opinion."

[Tande]

"Isn't it more disgusting to let them go to waste?"  Persi raised an eyebrow, and started off towards the end of the village - knowing full well that the hapless woman would follow along.  She didn't know any better...at least not yet, right?

"If I were to be torn apart and devoured, I would like my whole body to be of use.  Even bones can be ground down, dust used to help bake bread.  Though a little doe like you...I doubt you even devour flesh let alone organs.  When -I- was a child, we even found use of the bladder of the pigs we slaughtered.  Just blow them up and you have yourself a ball to play with."  The bulk of what he said was to simply avoid the real answer to her question.

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Hearing the man ramble on about the pig bladder almost made Liarri want to puke. As both a vegetarian and a pacifist, the idea of using the organs of an animal for something just disgusted her. Fortunately, she was able to calm herself and follow the man to the edge of town with the groceries in her arms.

"You live out in the forest? How come I haven't seen you around yet?" She asked, noting they were heading out into the forest. As part of her work, she went out in the forest every now and then to collect herbs and berries for medicine and whatnot, and she knew almost every inch of the forest, or so she thought. Evidently, she had missed whatever shack or cabin this guy lived in.

[Tande]

He dug in one of the bags, peeking into it and scooching over closer to her to thrust a hand into one of the bags she held - finding a smaller thin fabric satchel that held a collection of salted cashews.  He popped it open to the best of his ability and chewed away at a few, even being as kind as to offer the doe girl with her hands full a few.  Much of everything was lax for this man, it seemed.

"Mm, yes.  I live in the forest.  A mage doesn't let himself be seen by those he doesn't know."  He chewed away at more nuts, smiling ear to ear.  "I have an enchantment on my home.  So don't think you can come in and steal all my things just any day, my doe."

"Ah!  That does remind me.  You don't even know this stranger's name, hm?  The name is Persi Zartosht, my deer, or you can call me Zoroaster.  Either works."

[Klezmer Gryphon]

"Well, Persi, my name is Liarri de l'Mori." She said, as common courtesy dictated. She noted the fact he had an enchantment on his house, and guessed that was the reason she hadn't seen him or whatever humble shack he called home.

"So, Persi, what exactly do you do out here?" She asked as they continued through the woods. It was a fair question, considering that no one lived out in the woods without a good reason. Although, her ancestors did it for centuries, but that was because they were exiled, or threatened with some other punishment. So, what reason did this man have for living out here?

[Tande]

"Liarri."  He rolled his tongue on the L, smirking at how it sounded.  It was an ethnicity he wasn't particularly used to, and found it...endearing, of all things.  All these years and still learning.  "Liarri de l'Mori.  Lovely." 

He continued to trot through the woods, slightly surprised the fawn girl was still following him.  The deer he knew were so flighty and would bound off at the slightest disturbance, but this woman seemed to be rather genuinely social and helpful.  Too kind.

"A mage likes his privacy."  He flashed her another smile.  "I don't like prying eyes, and it means I can streak around wearing whatever I feel that day since I don't need to mind any neighbors.  It's rather lovely, I promise.  I wouldn't be living in this hut for years on end if it hadn't it's positives."

[Klezmer Gryphon]

I can understand if you like privacy, but isn't an enchantment on your house going a little too far?" She asked, a bit curious as to why this guy valued his privacy to the point of magically hiding his house. Although, as she pondered, they eventually came to a clearing. It was a rather nice spot, with several large trees for shade, a nearby creek, and even a small den.

"So, is this where your house is supposed to be?" She queried, wondering if this was their destination. If this guy liked privacy, then he certainly chose an odd spot to put his house...

[Tande]

"Just a little further, past this.  The den would cause issue with the wildlife, and as much as it sounds pleasant, I wouldn't like a bear or even raccoons on my property trudging about, making messes and devouring my things.  That is, if they found their way through the...oh!  Here we go."

The only marking that seemed out of place in the forest was a stone - a stone that crossed their path and stood about half Persi's height.  He set down what he was carrying and peered back to her with yet another trademark grin of his.  Reaching into a sleeve, he pulled out a letter opener, drawing a hand across the blade with no hesitance.  Letting the blood drip onto the stone from his palm, it seemed as if space itself in the forest get a little bit larger - revealing a wooden shack before them that looked as if it'd crumble at the slightest wind.

"Welcome to my humble abode, my deer."  He slipped the thin knife back into a sleeve and wiped what blood continued to drip from his open palm on his cloak.  Sooner or later it'd stop bleeding, and it wasn't really a cause for concern for him. 

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Liarri was taken by surprise when Persi cut his hand. As she watched the shack appear, she felt like her stomach was in knots. The bags dropped to the ground as she realized now what the organs were for.

"You-you're a- a blood mage?!" She screamed. How come she didn't realize it sooner? Was it the fact that he had away with words, or was she just that easy to fool? Either way, she turned and ran off in the forest, her hooves leaving prints in the ground.

She rested behind a rather large tree once she felt she was a good distance away from that horrid man. As her usual way of calming down, she reached for her necklace, the silver crescent moon that hung from her neck. But, it wasn't there. No... Please, gods, no... I don't want to go back there....

[Tande]

His eyebrows raised as she bound off.  At least she didn't run off with his things, that would had made tonight's spell rather difficult.  He sighed, leaning over to pick up the paper bags heavy with meat and soap and realized that something had been caught it the staunch paper. 

He'd first go put away his things, at least in his home, and then dig through the bag to find a necklace - a silver crescent moon that shone in the candlelight that illuminated his shack of a home. 

The blood mage looked it over, and then trotted outside, hands on his hips, the necklace dangling from his grip.  The woman certainly ran off in quite the fear, so he worried that she may have gone to report him to the authorities, or perhaps would be too frightened to ever come back to the hut.  With a grumble, he plodded towards where he saw her run off.

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Every time she heard a twig snag, a leaf rustle, or even just a breeze, Liarri thought the mage was on the other side of that tree. She didn't want to associate with him, didn't want to know him, hell, she didn't even want to be in the same forest as him! Was she being a bit paranoid, perhaps, but her instincts were in high gear.

Another twig snapped. Then another leaf rustled, closer and closer. No.... Please, gods, no, not him....

[Tande]

Persi clutched the necklace in hand, eyes wide as he peered about in search of the small woman.  Perhaps she had clopped on off somewhere else.  He could attempt to catch up to her by tracking her, but he had little patience for it. 

He'd give at least some effort into finding her, and call it an excuse for a stroll through the woods.  He didn't survey his neighbors all that often, and maybe this was a good time to ensure that things weren't bumping into the property line too much.  Staring at the necklace, he gave a sly smile and pocketed it, making rounds in an aimless fashion now, whistling to himself.

He rubbed his chin, fingers feeling against the thin chin beard found there.  If she wants it back so bad, she'll come back, won't she?

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Either the forest was playing tricks on her, or this blood mage was right around the corner. Either way, it didn't matter, because Liarri was terrified. And, at the sound of a few more twigs snapping, and rustling leaves, she decided she'd had enough. Without even a second thought, she picked up a large branch, and got ready to whack anyone who came around.