Back to The Waterworks: Briarpatch

[Jim Roberts]

[Feb 1 AM – The Briarpatch]

Morning had begun early for many of the members of the Plains
Expedition. Most especially for those who had been overnighting some few
hundreds of miles away from Castle Sibley, the site of the previous
day's Royal Crown Commission. Particularly as these remote members of
the expedition had to first deliver a pallet of rations from Fort
Resolute out to the Plains in addition to their other travel plans.
Jeyshann’s Cat Mob army would need resupply every three days, or else
they would start eating their hosts out of tipi and home in short order,
and today was one of these scheduled days.

To be sure, Finfin could have travelled to Castle Sibley *first*, picked
up the travellers from the Mikhailene fortress, continued onto Fort
Resolute for the supplies, and *then* proceeded out to the Plains. But
that would have left some passengers behind; he was being asked to take
considerably more people back to the Plains than he had brought with him
to the Gelmir Vale. Unless most of his passengers were willing to
physically pick up and carry other voyagers, which would have been
possible, but awkward. Not to mention lacking in dignity, which given
many of the travellers were “people of the cloth” was something to consider.

So today’s expedition would be in two parts. First he would get the
allotment of supplies to Jeyshann’s private army in the morning, along
with some of his passengers, before returning back to Sibley. There, he
would spend the required hours needed to prepare a new round of
Dimension Folding spells and start with a relatively clean slate, able
to carry everyone in a far greater degree of comfort and dignity.

So after a *fine* morning’s wakeup with their Honeyskin hosts, Finfin
and Mithi along with Josie and Siaye were following Keshin as they
trekked the relatively short distance back to the defended compound now
known as the Briarpatch. The elf *could* have initiated this first
Dimension Folding journey right from Camp Keshin, but departing from the
Briarpatch had certain advantages. For one, it allowed the voyagers to
carry any messages from the Keeryte Sisters or the Fort Resolute
volunteers back to HQ, saving many days travel on horseback.

But far more important to Josie was that it would allow her one last
brief visit with Keshin’s and Siaye’s two children, Josie Jr. and Little
Joe. The canny Chief Caenry had cheerfully hosted the two children with
him the previous night, correctly figuring that the adults at Camp
Keshin might find themselves quite busy. The kindly old Chief had also
agreed to personally escort the young ones to the Briarpatch, there to
see Josie before the Flying Tiger’s return back to Duty and far away
realms. Until, of course, her next return.

In the safety of the huge hedge palisade, Josie was busy making her
goodbyes with the young tykes. Both children were sad to see what THEY
considered their co-parent having to leave them once again. Though
fortunately, even with the short attention span of youngsters, both
Josie Jr. and Little Joe were beginning to understand that this
“goodbye” really was more akin to a “see you soon,” and not a “farewell
forever”. That elf *had* promised them he’d be bringing Josie back to
them not too many days ago, and he’d made good on that promise.
Hopefully, he’d be able to do so again.

While Josie was making her tender goodbyes, Chief Caenry shook first
Mithi and then Finfin by the hand. “Thank you for looking after Josie,”
the Honeyskin Chief said sincerely. “She’s good people, and important
not just to Keshin and Siaye, but to all of us.”

“She is important to us as well,” Finfin stated firmly, and Mithi nodded
her firm agreement.

Seeing that Josie was momentarily occupied, Siaye approached the
wizards, partly untying the closure on a small leather pouch. “Captain?”
the blonde artist asked quietly.

Mithi grinned. “It’s Fin now, remember. Yer certainly entitled, ain’t
she, Fin?”

“Most absolutely,” the elf fervently agreed, recent memories still
*very* much in mind.

“Fin,” Siaye agreed with a smile of her own as she reached into the
pouch. “And Mithi. Please accept this item to remind you of us.”

“Oi dunno about Fin,” Mithi chuckled, “but I can tell ya *Oi’ve* got
enuf ‘appy memories ta not need any reminders.”

“I as well,” the elf assured the artist.

Siaye gave them both a warm smile. “And to be sure, you are *both* very
welcome to return to make more wonderful memories. I am certain that
Keshin and Josie both would really enjoy that.” Her smile broadened as
she added, “I can promise you that *I* certainly will. But in the
meantime, please do accept this.”

Gently, she placed a small stone sculpture in the elf’s hand. Clearly
not *all* of Siaye’s artwork was designed to be ephemeral and melt away
over time. This little sculpture was designed to last. A careless
observer would have dismissed it as nothing more than three rocks nested
together, anchored on a backing board of polished wood. But a more
careful observation would have shown that the three different stones’
colours had been carefully selected. One off-white, one red, and one
brown, shades that were not too far removed from the hair colours of the
adults in the artist’s household. The exterior of the stones were
polished, but unshaped, their natural contours still very evident. But
where the stones met their neighbours, they were carefully worked,
almost sculpted so they interlocked together.

“Most especially let Josie see this,” Siaye added softly, her eyes
flicking over to where Josie was giving the two children a hug,
“whenever she’s feeling homesick. And *especially* when she is spending
time with the two of you, please place this where she can see it, and
help her understand that it means that we too are with her in spirit,
even if not in physical form.”

“We’ll do that,” Mithi promised, while Finfin echoed his solemn agreement.

And soon afterwards, it was time for the travellers to depart.