"Oh gosh, I am so Nauseous… I should get something to eat and see how that helps." Ashley thought as she rose quickly from her bed to her feet. Knowing full well if she lays down for just a second longer she could waste 30 minutes or more in a blink of an eye. Peeking through the curtains she knows she woke up exactly at 5:30am like she always does; the sun rising and soaking the glistening leaves in a warm glow. The warmth covered a portion of her face and hair, embedding an orange under glow. Closing her eyes and bringing her face forward as her lips curved upwards in a peaceful smile, she stayed there just a second longer before turning to face Totara and Akira.
"Well I am going to have to get us some supplies today." She murmured to herself as she looked at the boys sleeping soundly and more importantly they were all safe now.
She took the outfit she placed at the foot of her bed and slipped them on. Although she can be disorganized, she tries her best to set herself up for a successful day. Whether she just randomly throws an outfit together or takes a second to think about what she wants to wear the night prior it always makes her morning easier.
Opening the worn, cacao colored door, slowly, to quiet the inevitable creaks from the ancient hinges she took one last look at Akira who was all wrapped up in his blankets… and laying in a pool of drool… she smirked and successfully closed the door without waking them. Fortunately the innkeeper called some nurses over to keep an eye on them throughout the night due to their injuries.
"G'mornin miss, what got you up so early?" The innkeeper said in a surprised tone as he awoke from sleeping in his rocking chair.
"I have to go to the guildhall and get my group's pay, then get some supplies for my friends and I. Fortunately I am great at forcing myself awake… Speaking of, sorry for waking you Harold, if you can't go back to sleep you should check out the sunrise; it's so beautiful around here!" She said in a friendly and sympathetic tone.
"No worries miss, trust me I get plenty of sleep throughout the day, haha! Seems you're ready to start your day" He then turned a book to face her and pointed to an empty slot. "Sign out here and when you come back be sure to sign back in. Also, since you're going out, my wife wants me to get some apples for her apple pie, would you mind getting me a bushel?"
As she jotted down Ashley Redwood, she cheerfully exclaimed "Of course, thanks for letting us stay here even when we looked all torn up and on top of that getting some nurses to care for us!"
"Here" A soft, suede bag, clinked and jingled as he fished it out of his overalls deep pockets and was tossed onto the table. "Thank you."
"See you later with those apples!" Ashley said while giving a kind smile and waving goodbye right before slipping out the front door.
Once she had arrived at the guildhall her mood soured a bit as she waited for the reward for the subjugation mission, if she was honest with herself she hated adventures and by proxy the guild but she can put her annoyance aside.
Getting to the front desk she talked with what seemed to be a dwarf, handing in a piece of the boss to show they had completed the mission.
The woman returned swiftly and handed Ashley the group's reward.
"At least it's not late like last time" Ashley said with a huff, before turning around and leaving the building.
Once she was out of the sight of anyone in the building she quickly returned to drop off Akira and Totara's share of the money before heading off to explore.
The town here is very old. Everything has a rustic, aged look, but it doesn't give the impression of not being cared for. Everything is clean and despite the occasional whine from old floorboards as unsuspecting weight is applied to them, or the groan of old door frames, everything is in good shape. Ashley walked at a pace which to the average person would be more of a jogging pace. She ventured down to the local corner store crossing dirt roads, using the occasional stone work paths to cut through the town. Passing many townspeople and horse drawn carriages, she took a deep breath of the clean, revivifying air. After being in the cold, musty, cave and dealing with spelling the worst case of monster BO she has ever experienced, for so long, she really appreciated the beauty around her.
She picked up some simple first aid equipment, and a few snacks. She was planning on getting the apples and more shelf stable foods such as dried legumes, vegetables, spices, and other long-term culinary necessities. For the boys she would pick up meat jerky of different types as they can be eaten simply in that form or rehydrated for stews and other meals. Having a deep connection with nature she didn't consume animal meat but respects her companions' different views so doesn't ever bug them about their eating habits.
Exiting the store she jolted into a very stiff posture as her face stared in disbelief.
"Willow?" She muttered so softly as she gawked at a girl who looked exactly like her younger sister. Black long hair, slightly pointed ears, and wearing a floral dress filled with hues of reds, pinks, and oranges.
Turning around, a young girl looks at Ashley visibly confused.
"What?!"
"Oh my gosh, you looked so familiar, sorry for the mix-up!" Noticing the girl carrying around a bag full of what seemed to be a random collection of clothing in varying sizes and books for varying age groups Ashley couldn't help but ask her:
"What are you up to? Would you like any help?" Her voice rang with sincere curiosity and willingness to lend a hand.
"Oh no worries… I am running errands for the local orphanage and honestly I don't normally like help from others but right now I could really use some help. This bag is getting a bit heavy and I still have so much to do! The name's Keeskey by the way" She extended her free hand out towards Ashley.
Briefly shaking Keeskey's hand, Ashley chimed "My name's Ashley. Fortunately I am also running errands for the group I'm with so I would have no problem helping you out. Here I can carry the bag for you if you would like."
"Thank you so much Ashley." Keeskey said, letting out a sigh of relief as Ashley took the bag from her hand.
They walked side by side from the clothing store Keeskey was in front of to another clothing/Armory place called The Adventurers Wear. While doing so the two saw a Fire Whip growing beside the road.
"I haven't seen one of those since I was five right before I came to the orphanage!" Keeskey squealed in excitement as she picked a strand of the grass which held a tuft of red, orange, yellow balanced on top.
Outstretching her hand toward Ashley, Keeskey explained "This grass hardly grows, yet alone flowers, outside of the elven kingdom of Grearignis."
"Oh my, are you from Grearignis as well? You sure know your stuff!" Ashley was perplexed by the young girl's excitement and knowledge of seeing the Fire Whip. Despite being a stark and unique plant to see, not many know of it due to it almost exclusively growing in the elven kingdom.
"Haha, yeah I am but unfortunately my father who was a human died when I was five and my mother who was an elf didn't want me due to me being a half breed. I've lived here at the local orphanage for 9 years since then. Now to pull my weight I try to volunteer for any of the harder chores at the orphanage." Nervously laughing and cautiously telling Ashley how she came to the town of Casteroll.
"Well you are a very strong young lady and extremely kind. I left Grearignis at your age. You know what, let me grab something from my bag." Ashley fumbled through her stuff till she found what she was looking for.
"Take this. When I left I took this special knife used for whittling through the trunk of trees to make homes. It looks small but it's quite sharp and effective at cutting through wood so be careful. It reminds me of my home every time I look at it. You see this engraving here, it is of the great mother tree."
"Oh no I couldn't."
"Don't even worry about it. I don't need it anymore but maybe someday you can visit Grearignis and use this to make your mark." Ashley reassured Keeskey.
Her eyes lit up as Keeskey quickly took the knife in excitement and she stared at it in awe.
"So what do you need to get here young lady because personally I have to get my group some new clothes"
Putting the knife in her waistband Keeskey states "I need some good shoes for some of the younger kids. Their feet have been trying to burst right out of them as they have been growing so quickly."
Right as they were about to enter the store they heard screams followed by the sound of an explosion.
"Stay here." Ashley instructed Keeskay as she put down her things to investigate what was going on. She moved quickly yet you could tell she was somewhat stiff from a few of the injuries she suffered.
There it was, the source of all the raucous. A Boegil of menacing size. About 8' 6'' wide and 13' 6" tall, front arms with ape-like hands and bulging muscles, back legs of considerably smaller size with more paw-like feet with sharp claws a few inches long. A distended abdomen, flat broad chest.
Appearing on the scene Ashley could only sigh. Like honesty can she or her team ever catch a break.