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Kitsune Lina
Trails "So, what's next?" Gourry asked as they walked away from the town hall.
"The blacksmith," Zelgadis suggested. "Then after that..."
"The inn probably," Amelia yawned. "We won't find either of them if we drop from exhaustion." Martina's trail had completely vanished and the last thing they heard about "Rannaur" was her fighting a monster around this town. Zelgadis took a moment to remember what the magistrate had said. "I don't know how she did it," the man had said. "But for three nights there was a war in the wilds, then she comes walking back into town with what was left of the creature."
"When was that?"
"The full moon before last," he answered. "That woman must be a powerful warrior. It was well worth the reward we gave her. Why are you looking for her?"
"We think she might be an old friend of ours," Gourry had said as they left. "This is more like an armorer's shop than a blacksmith," Amelia noted as they stopped into the small building in front of the forge. Amelia turned to look towards the wall and caught Zelgadis's attention.
"This is going to be a nice suit of armor," Gourry appraised, whistling. The interlocking blue scales that made up the tunic hung like cloth over the dummy. It looked relatively lightweight for most armor, but the warrior thought it would prove just as effective, if not more so, as other types of scale mail.
"There's a touch of magic to it," Amelia noted, squinting at it. Zelgadis nodded.
"Behir scales, hard to get," Zelgadis noted. "Perhaps that's what's left of the monster that was terrorizing the town."
"The armor is spoken for," the slayers turned to face the blacksmith, a large bearded man like almost any other village blacksmith. "I have plenty of material left to make more. That is, if you have the money for it."
"I have more effective means of protection," Zelgadis noted cooly. The blacksmith who couldn't see under Zelgadis' hood and cloak hpmhed doubtfully at that statement.
"Who's armor is it?" Amelia asked, burshing over the hard scales and humming to herself.
"A bounty hunter," the shopkeeper said. "It was an even trade, she brought the scales, I made the armor, leaving me with more than enough for several more suits."
"Sounds like a good deal for you," Zelgadis said. "When are you going to be finished with the armor?" He examined what was already done, the man was taking his time and doing it right.
"I'm doing it right, two months at least, why do you want to know?"
"Well you see..."
"Curiousity," Amelia cut off Gourry. "Its not often you see armor like this."
"I see, well what did you need here?" Zelgadis unsheathed his sword and handed it hilt-first to the blacksmith.
"I need a sharpening stone," Zelgadis told him. "And while I'm here I might as well have a professional sharpen the blade." The blacksmith nodded, and accepted the weapon reverently noting the fine construction of the blade.
"I'll have it done in about an hour," he said.
"We'll be back then," Amelia said, turning to leave and dragging Gourry along with her.
"I think we may have found her," Zelgadis said. "Now the question is, do we hang around here until she comes to pick up that armor, or do we go and look for where Martina might be."
"Yeah, Sairuun's borders are only a couple of days ride from here," Gourry said.
"We don't have to stay," Amelia said confidently.
"If you're going back to the idea that we shouldn't..."
"No, no, I put a trace spell on the armor," Amelia told him. "Should last for another year or so."
"Why didn't I think of that?" Lina yawned and stretched. Her mouth snapped closed with a click and she stared up at the night sky. The hunting around here was good, more than enough for her needs. The cave, she had complained before about this being the only forest without an abandoned cabin, was well supplied and perfectly comfortable, almost not like a cave. She was more than two days ride from the nearest settlement, so she was safe from eyes that would likely respond to her with silver arrows.
The last created a very distinct problem that was eating on her at the moment. There was virtually nothing to keep her mind occupied out here. She could run over the information she had collected on Martina's movements only so many different ways. Hunting normal animals only gave her so much challenge, even when she got it into her head to go looking for specific animals rather than just whatever she could find. At least most of the morning sickness seemed to be done with.
Xellos was around more often, now that Filia knew why he was disappearing. In fact he was around several times a week, probably pushing the bounds of what was safe to be away from his post watching Valgarv. Still, there was quite a bit of time when there was nobody but her and nothing to do.
"Speaking of cravings," the owl she had been watching prepared to swoop down on a mouse. The mouse was perfectly aware of the situation, Lina could smell the pheromones wafting off of it, but it was already frozen. The owl dropped from its branch, flashed down and through the tall grass and then was stopped by Lina's hand. The owl protested for all of three seconds before Lina started eating.
Lina was really beginning to like this body. She didn't merely accept it now, she actually preferred it. She rarely even noticed the pain of transformation anymore, and when dawn came there was a moment of regret as she took her completely human form again.
Lina yawned as she picked the remains of the owl out of her teeth and tossing them to the side with the rest of the night's refuse. She rubbed her rounded belly before standing up and walking back to the cave and the thick blankets and feather mattress inside. The border guards of Sairuun immediately recognized their princess.
"Princess Amelia!"
"Yes," Amelia said cautiously. "What is it?"
"Your father has sent seekers for you, there is great news."
"Really, what news is that?" Amelia asked calmly.
"The Prince is getting married!"
"What?!"
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