A Matter of Life and De'Ath (𝓒𝓞𝓜𝓟𝓛𝓔𝓣𝓔)

De'Ath by Chocolate (19)

"Ready?"

"Almost. Don't fret."

"Thank goodness for his friends."

"Yes, They're good companions."

He hadn't slept well that first night, despite the ale and his little purring friend. With no leads to follow, and no ambition to brave the streets in his female form, he spent the next day hiding out in his room with Trillo. When the bard wasn't trying to coax him into a game or interest him in a book, he was singing one of his vast repertoire of songs. That night Sinjin did something he had only ever done once before—he got drunk. While it got him to sleep—or at least a semblance of it—it also got him a queasy stomach and a monstrous headache the following morning.

He was nursing a glass of willow bark tea and peppermint when Ivy came in, took one look at him, turned and went back out. The hunter returned around noon, when Sinjin was feeling better, if no more settled, and conferred at length with Trillo. Then she came over to him and laid out her idea to help him through the wait.

Ivy had gone to Ned and several other businessmen in Coningsburg, acquiring donations and funds to remodel old Maude's hovel. She had pulled together the required materials and funds to refurbish the shack into a cozy dwelling. All that was needed was the labor.

Sinjin jumped at the chance. Pol took over as nursemaid for Sinjin's empty room so that Trillo could join in the restoration project too. Despite the occasional frustration when his present body was unable to function as he wished, the work was good therapy. At the end of each day he was tired, but a good kind of tired.

The biggest challenges he faced were in the matters of hygiene. The mundane tasks of relieving himself and bathing brought the change into sharp focus, and stirred up a myriad of conflicting feelings. His innate pragmatism helped, as did his Aunt's lifelong admonition to keep things simple.

As difficult as it was, Sinjin found that he learned some valuable things from his experience. The attitudes he faced that he knew were solely because of his present gender rankled, and made him vow to be extra vigilant over his own words and actions in the future.

Ivy laughed at his list of men he thought would benefit from a dose of the potion. They both knew it was a fantasy and that he would never do such a thing, but it soothed his ruffled feelings. Said feelings baffled him at times and it was Ivy's steady support that got him through.

Trillo's warmth and common sense kept Sinjin grounded as well. When sleep eluded him in spite of his fatigue, it was Trillo's' voice with Angel's purr that coaxed him into slumber. Sinjin discovered that the minstrel had a keen grasp of human nature and a wry wit that came out when least expected.

The day when they finished the job and Maude looked with awe on her new home brought Sinjin to tears. The old woman could barely speak through the tightness in her throat.

The final thing that topped it all off was from Trillo. The bard had discovered among the village orphans a young fellow who loved animals and wanted to learn how to care for their ills. He was a quiet, polite lad who would ease Maude's labors with his young, strong hands, and learn her craft. The two bonded swiftly over the cat and Maude's old three legged dog.

As had become habit, the three friends, Angel and Pol sat at their breakfast together the following morning. They had taken to eating in Sinjin's room where he could relax and Sinjin was dressed for comfort in trousers and an oversized robe. Angel was happily gnawing on a piece of sausage, while the humans reminisced about Maude's joy and surprise at her new circumstances.

The platters were mostly empty and they were sipping coffee when there was a familiar tap, tap, tap, at the window. Sinjin got up so fast he knocked over his chair, but he didn't top to pick it up. Fumbling with the latch, he finally got the window open to admit Noctus.

To his relief, there was a vial in the tube, along with a note:
Two drems in the same drink. Ma Yeka
Yes. Aunty