It was five minutes after Misha left before Drift realized he had no idea where to go to buy flowers. Fortunately, he had a way around that problem, thanks to where he lived. He stepped out into the hallway, closed the door behind him and focussed his mind on the image of a bouquet of flowers, and started walking. Two corners later, he was outside and at the greenhouse. Drift paused at the doorway, smiled, and kissed the stone archway. "Thank you, milady," he whispered. He paused to sniff the air for the scent of flowers, then considered the hedge that stood in that direction, blocking his view. There was a hole chopped in it, apparently not yet regrown after some lutin hacked through it last winter, and he stepped through. "The shortest distance between two points is a straight line," he concluded, and started humming cherrily to himself as he continued on his way, not realizing just what he'd stepped into.
Not far away, Xavier scowled. "I knew a person could get lost in the Keep itself, but not outside it, too!" he muttered, turning yet another hedge-bounded corner. He just wanted someplace quiet to meditate, but his quick stroll down a hedge-lined path had turned into an exercise in frustration as turn after dead end after turn presented itself, getting the black-furred leopard very thoroughly lost. "I never saw anything like this back in Lorland," he grumbled to himself.
Rickkter and Kayla slowly walked down the path, arm in arm, the raccoon mage enjoying the chance to get away from the stress of his duties for a while and spend time with his lady love. Kayla was still admiring the bouquet of spring roses Rickkter had bought for her, having talked Rickkter into the challenge when D'Alimonte suggested they try out the hedge maze he had grown. "Now, now, Rick, I know you like puzzles. And don't tell me this isn't pleasant."
"I like puzzles, I just don't like being inside them very much. But you're right... the company makes it worth it."
As the four converged on a single blind intersection, Rickkter suddenly stopped and pulled Kayla back. Even before she could ask why, Drift and Xavier collided right in front of them with a thud, a loud snap, and a yelp!
"Ow! That hurt!"
"You clumsy oaf! Watch where you're going!"
"What the hell did you do to my fur?!"
Drift's fur stood ridiculously on end, hiding his raised hackles as he made a grab for Xavier's shirt. The black leopard intercepted the grab with a swat of the metal rod in his left hand. It struck the back of Drift's right with another loud snap, and Drift jerked his hand back with another yelp. He clutched it to his chest, massaging it and swearing loudly, the muscles twitching and spasming for several seconds afterward.
"The first time was an accident," the leopard growled with the air of offended aristocracy, ears half back and tailtip twitching. "-That was on purpose."
Both of them looked over when Rickkter started laughing. "Nice use of lightning magic, there."
Kayla elbowed Rickkter in the ribs. "That's not funny, Rickkter," she said, and walked over to Drift. "Are you alright? Let me see your hand."
Rickkter, still laughing, walked toward Xavier and looked the leopard over with an appraising glance. "Interesting spell you've constructed there. You're constantly collecting energy and storing it in that metal rod, right?"
"That's correct," Xavier replied. "It's a spell of my own design, as are nearly all of my spells. There were some… private complications that prevented me from traveling to Metamor to study in previous years, so I'm almost completely self-taught. It takes only a fraction of the effort of a normal lightning spell to set up, and I can control when it discharges..." He glanced over at a scowling Drift and amended with a frown, "Unless, of course, someone blunders right into the storing metal when I'm not expecting them. With this rod, and given enough time, I can build up and hold enough of a charge for a full score of lightning bolts, though Fluffy over there cost me at least two hours."
"Why, you arrogant son of a—" Drift started to yell.
Xavier cut him off. "Wouldn't that be you , doggy?"
"Go hawk a hairball, cat!"
"Ha! Looks like someone beat me to it."
"Alright, you two, that's enough," Kayla said, holding each at arms length while Rickkter quaked with laughter. "Rick, you are no help at all." She frowned. "First meetings generally warrant introductions. I'm Kayla, and Mister Giggles over there is Rickkter. And you are?"
The leopard affected an aloof expression as if he found the samoyed suddenly not worth his time, and turned his attention to Kayla. "Xavier Marcus. Weather mage... in training." The last two words were grudging, as if the admission had to be dragged out of the cat.
"Drift Snow. Look, can somebody tell me the way out of these hedges? I'm going to be late."
Rickkter caught Kayla's eye and smiled slightly before shaking his head. "No, I think we're both as lost as you two. Drift, I've heard of you. Misha says you like using a taur form. If you shifted, I'd bet Xavier could stand on your back and see over the hedges. Between the two of you, we could all get out of here."
"I could just rear up, myself... no, then I'd need someone to brace me while I tried to figure out the route, and I don't think any of you could handle that weight. I can't balance that long."
"If you get as big as Misha does, no."
"Bigger."
Rickkter snorted a laugh. "Definitely not. I like my spine unsquished, thank you."
Xavier, who had been looking back and forth between the two, an ear back in confusion, butted in. "Excuse me... but what are you two talking about? What's a taur form?"
Drift shrugged his backpack off and held it out to Kayla. "Would you please hold this, ma'am?" She took it. "Thank you. As for what a taur form is," he continued, still frowning slightly at the black leopard, "it's better if I show you. If you'll all excuse me for a minute..." He ducked back around the corner he'd just come from.
Xavier started to follow, but Rickkter stopped him with a hand on his chest. "Give the man a moment's privacy, alright?" His enigmatic smile stifled the leopard's question, and Xavier waited with the rest until Drift stepped out from behind the hedge again.
The cat's eyes widened and his ears went back when he had to look up to match gazes. He'd been the tallest in his family, and almost always the tallest in any crowd, but the creature that stepped from behind the hedge was at least a head taller than he! Powerful muscles shifted under that white pelt, which extended back from where the samoyed's waist had been, over a massive dog's body whose back came up to Xavier's lower ribs. "Oh, my..."
Drift retrieved his backpack from Kayla and tucked his pants away inside before stepping forward, leaning down to look Xavier squarely in the eye. "Put your claws into my back and all the magic in the world won't save you. Got it?"
Xavier nodded. "I'll be careful." After a pause, he sighed and added apologetically, "Look, Drift... I'm sorry for shocking you. It's just been a lousy morning, alright?"
To the cat's surprise, Drift nodded and gave a slight smile. "I can understand that. I've had some pretty lousy mornings myself." He hooked a foreleg as a step for the leopard. "Now, how about we make a bad morning into a good afternoon and get out of here, okay? I've got to go see about a girl."
Rickkter and Kayla walked along behind as the pair scouted the maze, arm in arm once more. "That was pretty clever, Rick," Kayla said quietly. "Getting them to work together like that to smooth over their differences. Are you really lost, or was that all planned?"
The raccoon mage chuckled and shook his head. "That would be telling, Kayla. That would be telling."
Drift coughed and sputtered, laid out flat on the ground with Alexis on top of him. "Why do you do that? More importantly, why didn't you get that out of your system when I was giving you flowers?"
The fox-bat giggled. "Because it's more fun with spectators, silly! Besides," she said, snuggling her head under his chin, "you look so cute with your eyes wide as dinner plates."
Misha roared with laughter, and even Caroline couldn't hide a giggle. The fox, the samoyed, and the otter had been waiting in the town square for Alexis to arrive when she'd swooped down from on high and absolutely plastered Drift in her own signature style. She stole a smooch on the lips, grinned when he blushed, and then helped the samoyed up. "Ooof, you're heavy," she said as he stood, stepping up close again. "Must be because of all this..." Drift burst into ticklish laughter and scrambled away, revealing Alexis' hand at about belly height on him. She giggled mischievously, then turned and offered a delicately-clawed hand and an impish smile to Caroline and then to Misha. "I'm Alexis. Pleased to meet you. Isn't he fun?"
Misha supressed another laugh. "Good to meet you Alexis. I see that everything Drift said about you is true!" Caroline didn't bother supressing her laughter, a rich, rolling soprano that carried over the noise of the square bustling about its evening duties. Both warmly shook Alexis' hand.
"Oh?" the bat asked, reaching out to tuck her arm into Drift's when he approached again. "I hope he's been saying nice things. I'd hate to have to tickle compliments out of him." She reached over as she said 'tickle', threatening with her fingertips, her fingernails long enough to get through Drift's fur.
"Hey!" Drift protested, using his free arm to block Alexis' feigned threat. "C'mon, that's not fair. How did you know I was ticklish?"
"A lady never tells," Alexis replied with a sweet smile. "Shall we be off to dinner, then? I'm anxious to see this place you've recommended."
"Right this way, ladies and gentleman," Misha said, gesturing down the road. "It's a lovely little hole-in-the-wall place I found." He led the quartet out of Metamor and down the hill to Euper, where he revealed his discovery.
Drift groaned. "Misha, that's evil." Alexis laughed until she had to lean against Drift's side to stay upright, her head against his chest.
Caroline laughed and shook her head. "How long have you been waiting to use that pun?" she asked.
"What?" Misha asked, in exaggerated defensiveness. "It's not my pun at all. It's theirs!" He gestured to the sign over the door. It read, 'A Little Hole in the Wall," a single door between larger buildings.
"Ah, welcome, welcome!" came a high voice, barely preceding a mouse Keeper who barely came up to Misha's waist. He stepped out through the door of the restaurant and beckoned, whiskers trembling with delight at the sight of customers. "Come in, come in! Please! My name is Johann and welcome to the family Maus for the evening. Please, come sit at our table." His voice had a charming air to it, a high tenor with occasional aspirations at alto. He beckoned them in again and held the door, which despite the small size of its owner, was appropriate for the majority of Keepers.
Drift whistled when he stepped through the door. "You weren't kidding about 'sitting at your table'. Is that all one single table?"
It was true. A long table stretched the entire length of the narrow yet somehow uncramped dining room, unbroken along its entire length. The walls were lined with wood, with an occasional arched 'partition' decorated to look like it had been gnawed through by a giant mouse. People were seated scattered along its length, but never very far from each other, and the sounds of conversations resonated warmly along the room. That wasn't all that stretched through the room... the rich, savory aroma of good food and freshly baked bread curled through the room to embrace anyone who entered.
Alexis inhaled deeply and giggled. "I love it!" She jumped up to give Misha a kiss on the cheek, using Drift's arm to give her the extra boost in height she needed. "You can scout restaurants for me anytime."
Misha beamed with the praise. "Like any good scout, I can always find good food!"
Alexis laughed, her voice even a few notes higher than Caroline's. "I like that. I'll keep you in mind."
Meanwhile, the mouse escorted them to a spot midway between two groups of Keepers who were already eating, flanking the quartet with a basket of bread on either side when they sat. "We of the family Maus encourage all our new friends to mix and mingle as they see fit, but we insist upon as little argument as possible. Please, think of yourselves as among an extended family while you are here, with your comrades at table as siblings rather than strangers. Thank you most kindly for your patronage this evening, and my daughters will be out momentarily to see to your wishes for food." He smiled, bowed, and made his way into the kitchen, dodging past a young boy of a mouse who came out with a broad tray balanced precariously over his head. Upon that tray was a single thin layer of bread that spread the width of the tray, over which spread a red sauce, topped with melted cheese and little pieces of sausage. It smelled delicious, whatever it was.
Drift watched as it moved past, just below eye level now that he was seated, the canine looking almost hypnotized. "Oh, I want that."
Alexis did, too. "Is that tomatoes I smell?"
Caroline watched the two next follow the path of an older, but still youthful girl mouse bearing a bowl full of some sort of noodles, again topped with tomato sauce. "I take it Mr. and Mrs. Maus both live up to their names, Misha?" It was the only explanation for animal forms in children so young.
"That's right," Misha said as he smoothed a fabric napkin into his lap. He looked across the table at Drift and Alexis and chuckled. "Drift," he called, and made a wiping motion at the side of his mouth.
Drift hastily mopped the forming drool with his own napkin, blushed, and reached for a heavily buttered loaf of bread from the nearby basket. He sniffed it. "Garlic?" he asked quizzically.
"Trust me, Drift, it works with the sauce. You'll love it."
Alexis took a small loaf of her own and squeezed it in her fingers with a look of delight. "I already do. Fresh, soft, and squishy." She took a bite, swallowed, and pronounced it good with a loud "Yum."
"Squishy?" Caroline asked, giving voice to the quizzical expressions Misha and Drift wore.
"Soft as a ripe plum," Alexis replied with relish after another bite.
Laughter rippled among the group, and each quickly agreed with Alexis' declaration of the bread's goodness after a bite. When another young female mouse stepped up to ask their wishes for the evening, Drift asked, "What was that round thing your brother was carrying? It smelled delicious."
"Mama calls it 'pizza'. She brought a lot of our recipes up from the Southlands, though she's made a few changes. The cheese you saw on top is a change she just made recently, but people seem to like it. Would you all like to try that?"
Tails wagged on both the canines, Alexis nodded quickly, and Caroline smiled.
"I'll take that as a resounding 'yes'," the young mouse said with a grin. "Is there anything you'd like to drink while you're waiting?"
"Please, Alexis, tell us about yourself," Misha asked after the girl had deposited a bottle of red wine at their table, lapping at a glass of it. "Most of Drift's stories have been long on tackling and short on details. Where are you from?"
Alexis looked up from her own glass. "What did you say? Oh, sorry. I'm originally from up toward Glen Avery, but my job tends to have me wander."
"And what do you do for a living?" asked Caroline curiously.
The bat turned to Drift with a surprised expression. "You mean you didn't tell them?" she asked.
Drift laughed, looking just as intrigued as the rest. "You never told me , Alexis."
Alexis giggled. "Oops. That's right. I'm the queen of scroungers. If you need something, I can get it. For the right price, of course."
"So you mean a thief, or a really good merchant?" Misha asked.
Alexis sniffed dismissively, though a hint of offense showed. "A really good merchant, thank you. I have an information network you wouldn't believe."
"So you sell anything?"
"I sell whatever a person needs. They tell me what they want, I locate it, I arrange the deal. Much more lucrative than thievery."
"I'll take note of that. It's sure to come in handy at some point in the future."
Alexis smiled, a slight look of calculation crossing her face as she examined Misha closely. "I look forward to finding out what you want, dear Misha." She deliberately lightened the mood by sweeping an arm up to pat Drift's shoulder. "But as for me, all I want is a nice, handsome fellow to snuggle with."
Caroline laughed and snuggled up to Misha. "I'll agree with that. It looks like you found a good one, yourself."
Alexis grinned as her arm dropped. "That I did... with a really cute butt ." As she emphasized the last word, Drift jumped and yipped, nearly spilling his wine. Alex brought her hand back up above the table, giving Drift an innocent smile in reply to his shocked look. "I noticed it as he was leaving after he bonked himself on my tree. And that's not all..."
Drift's eyes widened, his ears going back in mortification. "Alex!"
"He's got the cutest curly tail," she continued, gesturing a curve in the air with a fingertip. "Mmmm-mmmmm. Nicer than a nice, ripe orange." Just when Drift started to relax, she added, still with that innocent smile, "Though maybe not nicer than two ..."
Drift's ears and nose went a brilliant shade of red. "Alex!!"
By this point, Misha was laughing so hard he had to set his drink down, and Caroline was smirking. "Don't you mean two ripe nuts?" the otteress asked.
"Why would I be interested in nuts? I like oranges... so nice and round and just the right size to play with." She gestured with her fingers as if holding them. "And so full of yummy, sticky juice."
If possible, Drift blushed even brighter. He whined wordlessly.
Caroline shook her head. "A perfectly good joke wasted."
Alexis' eyes twinkled. "Are you sure about that?"
Misha finally intervened when Drift put his head on the table and covered it with crossed arms. "Enough you two. Drift is about to die of embarassment."
Alexis patted the samoyed comfortingly on the arm. "All joking aside, I really do like oranges. They're all juicy and squishy and... Drift, get your head out of the gutter. I'm not talking about that ! Honestly... some people have such dirty minds..."
The dark man watched the two couples carry on their conversation, reflected once more in his golden basin. A smile rested upon his face, one that boded very ill for those in his sights.
The dark shape from before darted into place in front of him, its wings fanning slightly. "The spy has made contact, milord."
The dark man waved his hand negligently, his rings glittering this evening with rubies and sapphires. "I know, Thestilus. Maintain your contact with our prior client. Find out exactly how much he knows. He has been a considerable annoyance, and I find myself interested in closing out his contract. Permanently." He pondered and stroked his immaculate beard once the creature had departed, watching the samoyed closely as a plan developed. "Perhaps... perhaps..."