[PRP] A visitor to the court

[Reoakee]

Her ears perked up waking up the daily noise was something she was getting used to. She hadn’t found a job yet but helping out here and there was fine at least she had been told that. Sliding out of bed she trotted down the cold stone pathway toward the kitchen area. There was a bell ringing. She must have slept in later then she had thought. Rounding a corner and getting into a doorway she noticed a fluffy blue ghoulie with a bell on her tail ringing it and setting some mixed oat and cinnamon meal onto the counter. “is that for Hubris?” She was learning what everyone liked for breakfast. She hadn’t been here all that long since the strange one with bone wings had brought her home from the swamps but she was starting to get used to the rhythm and routine that every pony had.

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[Reoakee]

“Yes” Red eyes swiveled to look at the flightless and the other’s mouth was attempting a smile but it always looked a little grumpy with the teeth as they were The bells in her hair jingled when tilting her head. “Pretty sure the maid is busy with cleaning can you take it out for me.” She was already stirring another meal and working on the next set. Jugging from the red liquid it was going to be for Nebris. Not wanting to delay and have to carry that dish that made her nauseous just thinking about it Valrune scooped up the dish nodding knowing the maid would be down as soon as she could hearing the bell from before so by then the next dish would be ready to carry out. She quickly placed the bowel on a tray and put in on her back carry. If she delayed to long the other would get mad and those bells in her hair would come out and start to fly. There were marks on the wall where the bells had hit before.

 

[Reoakee]

Balancing the bowel with a tray on her back she headed quickly out toward the gardens. It was still a hike and a half through cold looming stone ways that made her shiver and wish she was wrapped up and not here. The archway to the gardens had chipped patterns engraved into it but it was hard to tell what it was with the amount of damage that had been done to it with weathering over the years. The smaller male unicorn/suli hybrid would be somewhere out there. She stood out looking around until a green horn popped out of the bushes near her followed by light purple hair and the rest of the pony she was after. She couldn’t really understand how he always knew she was there. He had tried to explain it being talking to the plants and some magic wards but she didn’t really understand all the terms he had used. The eye ball in the flower on his hind end rolled around looking around. She wasn’t 100% convinced he even had eyes under his hair. “Hello Hubris. Maria has some breakfast for you.” She kept her voice down as she had seen the hybrid jump and skitter off before. He was perhaps one of the few here who didn’t seem like they could be scary at all. It was rather nice in her mind.

 

[Reoakee]

“Yes. One moment.” He turned and was doing something in the bush and when he pulled out again he had a small basket full of herbs and other small fruits of some kind. Valrune shuffled to the side when he sorted a few things in the basket before setting it on his back. He gestured for Valrune to follow him so she did. She had learned that he wouldn’t eat in the pathway and had a little place off the side he ate at. A part of her wished he would just take the tray and leave her be but he had the basket so she supposed she could patient for a moment or two longer. Picking her way delicately around some of the plants she entered the little glade aside with Hubris. Hubris set his basket down and turned to help Valrune with the tray. She heard him mumble a thank you but the sound of his stomach was much louder and made her smile. “No problem”

 

[Reoakee]

In moments she was watching Hubris dive into his breakfast with his tails half curled around him and the eye plant was ‘facing’ forward as much to the dish as it could. Amused she looked over the basket there were a lot of herbs but they seemed to be sorted. “Are these for the kitchen?” She watched Hubris shake his head no and point up higher to one of the towers. “Oh!” She nodded understanding. That was perhaps one place she knew. Venom lived there. She knew that was not the pony’s first name but she couldn’t always remember it much less pronounce it. The base of the tower was Venom and at the top was a unicorn who cast enchantment spells. Hubris already had his head back in his breakfast but a few oats were stuck to the side of his mouth. Reaching out she cleaned them off for him only to see him pull his head back nervously until he realized she looked confused. “Sorry about that. Here.” she moved slower and knocked the oats aside to see a shy smile while she looked back to the tower she saw a lantern moving in it. That could be the enchantress or the pixie. “I can take the basket if you are all done with it.” She looked at Hubris who was ‘starring’ at her from behind his bangs. His ear swiveled a little bit while he was thinking. As he gave a slow nod she smiled. She liked to visit the strange bat. Though she couldn’t stand the pixie who lived here she rather liked Venom who brought her here. Perhaps it was because the other couldn’t fly or perhaps it was because the pixie drank blood. She wasn’t sure all she knew was the pixie Nebris made her skin crawl and she would much rather be around Venom at the moment. Since Hubris gave consent she scooped up the basket and tripped over self to get to the base of the tower and start downward before the lantern could get to the base to come outside!

 

[Reoakee]

On her way in she had accidentally pulled up a few plants that were caught in her claws. Picking them out on her way downward she didn’t bother to worry about the dirt. The maid here was cleaning a crumbling castle anyway. She didn’t understand why the maid even bothered with it. The whole place was just unsettling to her. The air seemed to settle heavily when she came down this way. A large worn door would stand before her after a number of uncomfortably narrow steps. Knocking she heard chittering on the other end of the door and put her shoulder to it to push the door open. Venom was standing on the counter turning a small knob on a glass pipe set up to adjust the flow of a light greenish fluid. Valrune relaxed once she was on the other side of the door. “I have a basket from Hubris for you.” She held up the basket when Venom looked at her but was quickly dismissed when Venom when back to her monstrosity twisting another knob here and there. Looking around for a place to set the basket down she carefully moved around the room. There were chips and burns on the stone from the green pony. She had seen Venom make a few of them. A small stream of fire made her look up and see Venom heating a burner. The reflection of the light through all the small glass pipes and beakers was actually beautiful.

 

[Reoakee]

Valrune liked the look of the lights dance as they were the reflections of flame. She was mesmerized by it and as sudden as it was there it was gone. She heard a thump as Venom disappeared from the beaker reflections. The chipper sassy voice pulled her back to see the hybrid looking at her. “Right right.” Claws were digging in the basket she pulled out a few herbs and tossed them onto a counter near the basket before Venom came back to her. “Good job.” Valrune lowered her head as the hybrid reached up to pat it. It was a bit embarrassing but when she didn't’ have memories after being found in that swamp the hybrid had said she knew a place she could stay and became an impromptu mother like figure for Valrune and even had named her. This didn’t mean the hybrid was always kind to her as twice now when Valrune was too chatty and asked to many questions Venom had fed her things that once made her paralyzed for a few hours and once made her pass out for a day and a half. Since then Valrune had learned to ask fewer questions. She learned more form Hubris and Maria then Venom and Kenyon of course had talked her ears off. Smiling at Venom she nodded.. “anything I can do for you?” "Honestly not right now the tincture needs to finish distilling and with these herbs I'll need to dry them for several days before I can really do much with them for what i want. Hubris did a good job with these." She was smiling looking back to the herbs on the counter. "you need something Valrune?" "No I just want to watch if that's alright?" She really wanted to just sit and relax. this room was dank, it could be on fire, it was smelly and she didn't like it but she felt safe here and was glad to avoid Nebris if she could.

 

[Reoakee]

She watched the hybrid seem to consider for a moment or two before nodding a consent. Valrune found a nice quite spot along the wall to sit and watch. She watched as the herbs were sorted and then tired together and set above a small fireplace just off the the side to avoid smoke while drying out. Then it was back to making strange mixes. the bitter smell filled the room quickly as various items ended up in pots and containers. Valrune watched it all amazing her claws flexed wanting to help but knowing she didn't' have any idea what went were. Things blew up enough in her without her meddling. Time seemed to slow down at times while speed up at others depending on how many things where going on in the room. Valrune lost track of time until a brown ghoulie head poked into the door. "Hello. Lunch time. Eat or starve." The head disappeared quickly. Venom snickered and Valrune smiled. Elisheva was always short with Venom but given how many times the maid had to come in and clean up after the other hybrid it really wasn't any kind of surprise she supposed.