Working Title III: You Meddling Mortals

Chapter 4 - No Time for Cat Naps

"I will find you. I made you. I am you, and you are me."

The words echoed in Aster's dream. His eyes snapped open. The simple bed and mattress stuffed into the closet-sized room above the bar gave a certain comfortable claustrophobia. Still, he found himself drenched in a cold sweat. Wiping his face from the sweat, he twiddles his fingers and watches the sweat and grime from the previous day fall from his body and pool at his feet. It was tinged a deep red. He'd attribute that to Bon Qui-Qui.

***

The bear skin on which he slept radiated a calm, persistent warmth. As he awoke, he left his eyes closed. He felt Adeline's weight at his back.

She's still sleeping.

If she didn't hear anything, then he certainly knew he wouldn't. He opened his eyes and shuffled out from under his fur blanket. He stood up and surveyed his surroundings. He was perhaps 100 meters into the forest, in a clearing just outside Forestfall. The man who agreed to pay the fine for the Catwoman and Orc slept with them above the Tavern. At least he'd hoped. He knew it unwise of him to let his debtors sleep independent of his watchful eyes, but the "cozy claustrophobia", as Aster called it, of the rooms for rent gave him chills.

He approached the Tavern, slowly. His footfalls made no noise. Adeline, looked at him quizzically.

"Papa, why are you hunting? There are only friends in there!"

"Adeline we can't trust these people."

"But I like the one with the poofy hair. And the big one who speaks like me! And the small, angry one!"

"Adeline, that's all of them. You like all of them?"

"Yes."

***

A small rock Bon Qui-Qui had placed in her pocket gave a slight buzz. She reached in her pocket to silence it. In the bed adjacent hers, Patches lay completely still. Only the errant ear twitch and the easy rise and fall of her chest giving away her slumber.

She quietly rose from her bed and slipped out of the room with a grace unbecoming of her frame. Ducking under the door, she caught the tail end of Aster's robe follow him down the stairs.

"Oh, Aster-Aster! Good mawnin!" She exclaims from atop the stairs. Aster freezes at the bottom of the stairs and turns his head to meet Bon Qui Qui's gaze. He gives a yawn.

"Good morning, Bon Qui Qui. I am assuming your charge hasn't yet awoken?" Aster turns his head toward the bar and takes a seat.

"Nope! Miss Patches likes to sleep in most days."

"Ah, well then. I suppose that would be in direct conflict on Sin with-two-enn's proposed schedule."

"Well how do you mean?" Bon Qui-Qui takes a seat at the bar beside him.

"Look outside."

Bon Qui-Qui, confused, stands up and looks through the opening for the Tavern. Surely enough, Sinn was approaching the Tavern, his rucksack packed.

"Sin with two enns." Bon Qui-Qui smiled.

He sighed heavily "Bon Qui-Qui. Aster."

"Sinn." Aster rotates his chair and places his elbows on the bar behind him.

"So...are we hitting the road or...?" Sinn's eyes are wide and shift from the massive Orc to the be robed man.

"Well, if you want to be the one to wake the beast, by all means." Aster smiled.

Sinn's brow creases.

"We do not have time for cat naps."

"Sinn I would really wait if I was you..." Bon Qui-Qui's voice trails off. Sinn was on his way up the stairs.