Chirper's Plight 09.07.19 Madame Augustine

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A lone figure wanders the Feythorn Forest in the setting sun. The sky is an explosion of colours slowly giving in to the coming night. The birds are bidding the trees goodnight, the foxes bidding them a good morning. Augustine easily navigates the long shadows and the light of the first stars until she finds her clearing. 

A small, neat shelter against an oak with unusually low branches. A modest stream right next to it. A fire pit. Herbs hanging to dry, half finished baskets woven from leaves. Some knitting, miraculously left untouched. 
She strokes her hand across the bark of the tree as if greeting a friend and sits down next to it. She lights a fire the old fashion way with a flint and some kindling, humming quietly to herself. While waiting for the water to boil over the fire she leans back against the oak, her head finding a comfortable groove.

"I sure had a day, yesterday." Here eyes are focused on the fire but are looking at things a million miles away. 
"A kenku walked into the establishment I've been frequentin', that one they call the Cavernous Seashank. Poor thing, it was all shook up and askin' for help. "They're leavin', they're leavin', again and again. Clearly someone had gone missin' and he was offerin' a pretty penny for help." 

The water is boiling. She adds some tea leaves to the pot and pulls out a jar of honey from a bag. Sets a Whiskey bottle of questionable origin down next to a clay mug. Leans back against the tree, looks up at the stars through the canopy. 

"A few of us who were there offered to help. None of the others asked for a specific amount of gold before agreeing even, which I thought was mighty generous of them all. That's why I don't go to places like the Flourished Hook, why I avoid New Town in general. Rich folk can be nice, sure, but poorer folk have a better grasp of what's important in this life. Then again, one of the party was a person who is now a cat, so I can only assume he doesn't have much use for coin anymore."

She pours the tea into the mug, adds some honey and a splash of whiskey. Pulls her shawl tighter around her shoulders. Sits back against the oak tree again and smells the tea. 
The fire catches her eyes again. She looks into it, and beyond. 

"We went to a small village called New Hillborrow. It was exclusively halflings there, apart from these Kenku that they seem to have struck some sort of bargain with. The halflings farm, they till they earth and make an honest living off of the land. They worship Sheela, a halfling goddess of agriculture, do you know her?" She looks up at the branches again. 
"I thought you might, since your domains are fairly adjacent. Oh, and on our way to the village we met a wolf. A big, handsome one, named Blacktail. He was actually grey, but I assume he has aspirations in life. I convinced him not to eat us, look after him if you can. I liked him." 

She tries the tea, test the temperature. Takes a careful sip. 

"So the halflings take care of the land. The Kenku take care of the birds. And now all the birds had up and left. It was silent, the village. Some of the Kenku had gone as well, to try and find the birds. This cat who was previously a man decided to lean into his feline nature and sniff around and try to pick up a scent. He found one alright. One could say we went on a bit of a wild Goose chase." She chuckles a little to herself and looks up at the branches. "Get it? Goose?" The branches rustle a little in the wind. 

"We followed the cat to monoliths, beautiful large stones bathed in sunset. But then there were snakes. Strange ones, large and angry. Vile things. Some kind of shrubbery as well, that grabbed ahold of me somethin' fierce. Squeezed me so hard I thought my bones would snap. We fought them. I didn't do very well, I must admit. So far I've only used the power you've given me to heal the small scrapes people come to me with, to aid the sick. Doing battle is a different beast entirely." 

She takes a deep drink of the whiskey-laden tea. 

"Perhaps with your guidance I'll tame that beast as well. All in due time. For now I will heal, and care. The birds were all found in a cave behind a waterfall. Some sort of gnome had been luring them there with music. He lured us as well, and put us in a trance before fleeing the scene of the crime." 

Her tea has gone cold. She tops it up and adds a splash more whiskey.

"The others promised Chirper their help in huntin' him down but I don't think that's a job for me. I saw the young Idari home - she was much too innocent to be wandering about without her parents knowledge - and I'll keep my ears out for other things to do." She cocks her head sideways and listens to the wind rustling in the oak leaves.
"Yes, exactly. Things a little closer to home."  

She finishes her tea and lays down on the ground with a hand still on the tree. She hums quietly to herself and watches the stars.