voidtreckerexpress | Egret, Late Day 25, Early Day 26 | Healing Car

"I was scared too. But you don't run away because you're scared. Not when people need you," she said softly. She was staring down at the flower as she spoke, spinning it slowly between her fingers. Her father wouldn't have run. Kigi wouldn't have run. Alta... okay Alta would have ran but that would be just so she could get a better....

She looked up sharply. "Do you think maybe we're circling around to come at the attackers from behind?" It was a thin thread of hope, but it was the first she'd had.

"I agree. But until we can communicate better with the Train, we don't know what it was thinking." He paused a moment. "We assume a great deal, but we don't know its age or maturity. A child will run because it is frightened, whereas an adult will stay and fight."

He considered it. "Perhaps, but I suspect not. When we left, the Train was very frightened. But someday, we will have the strength we need and we will find a way to convince the Train to let us rid the universe of this threat so no more are harmed."

"It...is remotely possible that this thing was after the Train specifically, and by leaving we drew it away from the people of that world."

She considered that, eyes still on the flower for a long moment as her exhausted mind processed what he had said. Then she shook her head. "I don't think so..." she said finally. "Not to the last part. If we were bait we'd be moving slow enough to give whatever it was the chance to think it could catch up."

Could the train be like a child....? She had to consider that one more. She yawned. Later. She'd have to consider it more later...

"I don't think we're bait. I think we might be the target," he said softly, watching as she yawned.

"Have you had enough to eat?" he asked. "I could help you back to your cabin, if you'd like."

Enough to eat? Never. "I could eat more," she mumbled. Then she blinked, confused. "Wasn't I supposed to be helping you...?"

"You are helping me," he assured her. "I couldn't possibly eat all this by myself." He got out a bowl and a spoon and handed them to her.

She took them, sure there was a fault in his logic somewhere there, but was too hungry and tired to find it. With a yawn she reached behind her back and several cards flew to her hands. "Well then my friends can help too," she mumbled and tossed the cards up where they split in a flash of light revealing a few odd creatures. The smallest was a furry little critter with arms and legs, the largest was what seemed to be a huge suit of armor that was crunched in the corner and still hardly fit. Then the helm turned to face her, proving it was alive. There were a few others, just as odd, though on the smaller side. There was what looked like a chest plate and helm with arms and a drill in place of legs and feet, an upright armless cat in a cape, and a gremlin.

She yawned again and gestured to him, "He has too much food and needs help eating it," she told them sleepily.

"Somehiw I doubt that if you're here," the cat creatures said with an exhausted laugh. "But we'll help if we can, merow."

Glorfindel's eyes raised at the variety of her...friends. That is what he understood they were, for all that they were also cards. He set out more bowls and more spoons. "Please, let me know if you require another way to eat, or if you require other sustenance," he said.

He made sure she had food first, refilling her bowl as she emptied it, between serving the others. If she was exhausted and hungry, it made sense to him that they would be also.

Most of them happily dug in but the cat looking thing looked up at him. "Well if you're offering, have any spells?" he asked, nose twitching slightly.

Naja set the flower down gently beside the bowl and started eating happily once she saw the others were eating.

Glorfindel thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not as such, not like some of the others. My magic is more innate. I do have energy to spare if you can take it directly, though." He held up the palm of his hand and allowed some of the light he emitted to pool there.

"We can sure try, merow!" Cait Sith said jumping up onto the counter to be closer. His cape flew open, revealing that rather than a body he had a gem surrounded by rings, all of which rotated slowly.

Najaran licked her spoon off, bowl empty that quickly. "Be careful of the feedback," she warned them both.

"That was an attack spell," Cait Sith said, seeming unconcerned. "This won't be as spicy, I can tell already."

Glorfindel held his hand steady. The cat-headed friend was quite unusual, and did give him pause. But once you start a steady diet of strange, you don't get easily phased.

"If it is too bland, I can try something. Not sure if it would work, but I can try," he said, smiling. With his other hand he put another ladleful of soup into Najaran's bowl.

Cait Sith got closer. "You have to aim it at me," he said, whiskers and ears twitching eagerly.

Najaran happily dug in. She will keep eating till bursting, even this tired. Maybe even especially this tired.

Glorfindel frowned. He wasn't sure how to aim his power. He wasn't positive it wouldn't just dissipate if he released it.

Except there had been that one time, when they were hard pressed by orcs. But he'd never done it again. He bit his lip in concentration, his eyes closing and his eyebrows scrunching together.

After a moment, in which he focused on the pool of light in the palm of his hand, he tossed it at Cait Sith. It stayed coherent as it left his hand and flew toward the being, but was starting to unravel quickly.

The creature's central gems and rings spun faster pulling it in. "MEOW! That's good!"

Glorfindel had opened his eyes in time to see the sparkly display. He slumped back a bit in relief. "I am glad it worked!" He looked down at his hand. "I think I might be able to manage another?"

He also checked on Najaran. "How are you doing? Need another bowl? Anyone else?"

"No need, meow!" Cait Sith said happily, moving to sit at the edge of the table near Najaran so he could swing his feet, cloak back in place.

Najran yawned. "What other kinds of yummy food do we have here?" she asked, head pillowed on her arms next to her once again empty bowl.

He might have to cut her off for her own good....

"Are you the kind of cat that likes head scritches?" he asked Cait Sith.

Then his eyes were drawn to Najaran. "We have all sorts," he said softly, his voice gently sing-song. "Like pastries, and sandwiches, vegetables, and desserts, little nibbles and large meat pies, all here in the kitchen, ready for you in the morning."

She probably did need more to eat, if she were also supplying energy to her friends, but perhaps she needed sleep more right now.

"There is a kind that doesn't?" Cait Sith asked, almost appalled.

Najaran licked her lips, the melody lulling her to sleep, as he drowsiness warred with her constant desire for new and yummy foods. Sleep was winning...

Glorfindel reached over and gently started giving Caith Sith ear scritches as he sang a menu lullaby to Najaran.

[What will the cards do when he carries her back to the infirmary and puts her to bed...figure she'll wake in her own bed regardless, so easier to take her there for now!]

(They'll follow along till she releases them when she wakes up.)

The song pushed her over the edge. One hand on her spoon, one hand on the stem of the flower, she fell asleep.

Cait Sith was purring happily, and the others crowded closer, done with their food, curious about scritches.

Glorfindel looked at the others, crowding around. "Let me put her to bed, then we'll see if any of you like scritches, too, shall we?"

He carefully took the spoon away from her and tucked her hands in close, flower still with her, and then picked her up. "There are beds in the infirmary, which is where I am needed. Is that acceptable?" he asked her friends.

She curled against him.

The cards nodded. "We will stay with her till she wakes, meow."

Glorfindel carried Najaran back to the infirmary and placed her on the bed. He made sure both the flowers and the cards were tucked away safely, so if she whisked off back to her own bed she would have them with her.

He sat back down in his original spot and indicated anyone who wanted to could come sit with him. "Now, who wants ear scritches?"

He would find a cat and a furry little beast in his lap and a gremlin trying to scale - pun intended - his arm to reach his shoulder. Or possibly his head.

Fast asleep, Najaran was oblivious to it all.

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The joys of figuring out how a creature speaks when he has like... 4 lines.

I'd buy it :)

Good, I could use the money :: teasing::

*Gives 2 cents*

Talk about putting your two cents in.

Isn't it nice that inflation hasn't affected that?

ROFLMBO. That is true.

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Gives 2 cents