The Journey, Chapter 33 = previous chapter
Chapter 34: Cottage
They walked through the tall grass, admiring the fresh scents, and the sun had risen to the highest point of the day. Suddenly a large shadow enveloped them for only a moment, Neko looked up to try and identify what the cause was but couldn’t see anything. Loki looked up with a keen eye as if the raven already knew.
“An abandoned cottage… I guess I could make something of this…” Neko forced the door open, the hinges creaked loudly. Although abandoned, the inside of the cottage was surprisingly in good condition, albeit the thick white cobwebs hanging all over the place. Santi and Kristi sneezed as they walked inside.
Neko stepped back outside, took his weapons off and placed them by the front door, he grabbed some of the long grass and bunched them up in his hand, walking back inside he used the grass as a brush, sweeping up all the cobwebs. Santi and Kristi disappeared for a while, but he knew they’d be ok, after a short while they came back dragging some large dead rabbits by the ears.
“Well I guess that’s dinner sorted, thanks girls!” He patted them both on the head.
With the cottage now somewhat clean he decided to explore outside a little, as he walked around the building he noticed a large padlocked door that led to a cellar. He tried pulling and using a thick stick to leverage the lock of the door but nothing worked, a few moments later Santi walked around the corner carefully dragging his sword. “Swing blade, swing” Squawked the raven.
“Bloody annoying you are!” Neko muttered as he unsheathed his sword, he swung it down on the lock and it split in two. “The fuck? What kind of sword is this?” He asked looking at the blade checking for damage and finding none. He sheathed his blade and rested it against the side of the building, and pulled the cellar doors open. As he did a horrible smell came from it causing him to wretch, Santi and Loki turned their noses away too.
He walked into the cellar and came across a large room that had appeared to have been used as a smithy to make farm tools. Dead in the centre were the skeletal remains of two adults, and some farm animals. “Hmm…” Neko said, sighing. He rummaged through his pockets and found a long piece of cloth and tied it around his face. As carefully as he could he carried the corpses outside and placed them in a small clearing. He threw some dead grass on them, “Fajro!” A small purple ball of fire appeared in his hand, and he haphazardly threw it on to the dried grass and corpses setting them on fire. The bones quickly burned and turned to dust.
For some years Neko, Santaya and Kristolia lived at the cottage, Loki the raven did as he wanted disappearing to and fro as he pleased. Neko though was content, he worked the land, raising crops, his wolf companions would hunt and bring back meat. No one ever came through this way so he was happy because he wasn’t bothered. Loki would only disappear for a few days at a time. Santaya and Kristolia got good at scouting the skies to see his arrival back, and always getting excited to see the raven, bouncing on their front paws.
It had been a good few days since the raven was last seen, even though he’d never openly admit it Nekonata was getting a little worried. The clouds in the distance were getting heavy and grey, a storm starting to brew. Santi and Kristi whimpered.
“Come on girls, inside now.” They all went inside, Neko kindled the fire and bright orange flames started to dance and crackle, he sat on his bed looking out of the open window, watching to see if he could spot the raven himself. The day got later, the sky darker as the storm rolled in quicker than expected. There right in the distance flying fast in a strange zigzag like pattern was the raven, the winds started to stir up, the rain falling heavily. Nekonata opened the door with intentions to run out and catch the bird, but Santaya had already anticipated what he was going to do. She ran out before him, running as fast as she could against the wind, and jumped a little to catch the raven by its wing in her mouth. Neko walked out and scooped the raven in his arms holding it close to his chest, and they walked back inside the cottage.
The storm whipped up, showing no signs of letting up, they heard a loud creak, then a loud snap, followed by a rumble as a large tree fell crashing through the roof of the cottage because of the wind, the branches narrowly missing them all. “Let's go, it's not safe here, into the cellar we go.” Neko struggled to climb through and over the branches of the fallen tree. Scooped up the raven and put it inside a sack, tying the sack over his shoulders, Loki protesting loudly. Using all his strength he pushed open the door, and hugged the side of the building as they walked round to the cellar, safely climbing inside. He let the raven out of the sack.
“Give over Loki, seriously if looks could kill you’d have done us all in by now.” Neko commented dismissively.
“Arsewhole!” Loki squawked at him.
They waited, and waited, until eventually the storm died down, and it was safe for them to go outside. The damage to the cottage was extensive, no longer safe for them to live in, most of his crops had been uprooted. “Well, I guess I need to find somewhere else to live.” Neko commented heavily.
“Journey we go, journey we go!” Squawked Loki excitedly. Nekonata just looked at him confused…
Chapter 34: Cottage
They walked through the tall grass, admiring the fresh scents, and the sun had risen to the highest point of the day. Suddenly a large shadow enveloped them for only a moment, Neko looked up to try and identify what the cause was but couldn’t see anything. Loki looked up with a keen eye as if the raven already knew.
“An abandoned cottage… I guess I could make something of this…” Neko forced the door open, the hinges creaked loudly. Although abandoned, the inside of the cottage was surprisingly in good condition, albeit the thick white cobwebs hanging all over the place. Santi and Kristi sneezed as they walked inside.
Neko stepped back outside, took his weapons off and placed them by the front door, he grabbed some of the long grass and bunched them up in his hand, walking back inside he used the grass as a brush, sweeping up all the cobwebs. Santi and Kristi disappeared for a while, but he knew they’d be ok, after a short while they came back dragging some large dead rabbits by the ears.
“Well I guess that’s dinner sorted, thanks girls!” He patted them both on the head.
With the cottage now somewhat clean he decided to explore outside a little, as he walked around the building he noticed a large padlocked door that led to a cellar. He tried pulling and using a thick stick to leverage the lock of the door but nothing worked, a few moments later Santi walked around the corner carefully dragging his sword. “Swing blade, swing” Squawked the raven.
“Bloody annoying you are!” Neko muttered as he unsheathed his sword, he swung it down on the lock and it split in two. “The fuck? What kind of sword is this?” He asked looking at the blade checking for damage and finding none. He sheathed his blade and rested it against the side of the building, and pulled the cellar doors open. As he did a horrible smell came from it causing him to wretch, Santi and Loki turned their noses away too.
He walked into the cellar and came across a large room that had appeared to have been used as a smithy to make farm tools. Dead in the centre were the skeletal remains of two adults, and some farm animals. “Hmm…” Neko said, sighing. He rummaged through his pockets and found a long piece of cloth and tied it around his face. As carefully as he could he carried the corpses outside and placed them in a small clearing. He threw some dead grass on them, “Fajro!” A small purple ball of fire appeared in his hand, and he haphazardly threw it on to the dried grass and corpses setting them on fire. The bones quickly burned and turned to dust.
For some years Neko, Santaya and Kristolia lived at the cottage, Loki the raven did as he wanted disappearing to and fro as he pleased. Neko though was content, he worked the land, raising crops, his wolf companions would hunt and bring back meat. No one ever came through this way so he was happy because he wasn’t bothered. Loki would only disappear for a few days at a time. Santaya and Kristolia got good at scouting the skies to see his arrival back, and always getting excited to see the raven, bouncing on their front paws.
It had been a good few days since the raven was last seen, even though he’d never openly admit it Nekonata was getting a little worried. The clouds in the distance were getting heavy and grey, a storm starting to brew. Santi and Kristi whimpered.
“Come on girls, inside now.” They all went inside, Neko kindled the fire and bright orange flames started to dance and crackle, he sat on his bed looking out of the open window, watching to see if he could spot the raven himself. The day got later, the sky darker as the storm rolled in quicker than expected. There right in the distance flying fast in a strange zigzag like pattern was the raven, the winds started to stir up, the rain falling heavily. Nekonata opened the door with intentions to run out and catch the bird, but Santaya had already anticipated what he was going to do. She ran out before him, running as fast as she could against the wind, and jumped a little to catch the raven by its wing in her mouth. Neko walked out and scooped the raven in his arms holding it close to his chest, and they walked back inside the cottage.
The storm whipped up, showing no signs of letting up, they heard a loud creak, then a loud snap, followed by a rumble as a large tree fell crashing through the roof of the cottage because of the wind, the branches narrowly missing them all. “Let's go, it's not safe here, into the cellar we go.” Neko struggled to climb through and over the branches of the fallen tree. Scooped up the raven and put it inside a sack, tying the sack over his shoulders, Loki protesting loudly. Using all his strength he pushed open the door, and hugged the side of the building as they walked round to the cellar, safely climbing inside. He let the raven out of the sack.
“Give over Loki, seriously if looks could kill you’d have done us all in by now.” Neko commented dismissively.
“Arsewhole!” Loki squawked at him.
They waited, and waited, until eventually the storm died down, and it was safe for them to go outside. The damage to the cottage was extensive, no longer safe for them to live in, most of his crops had been uprooted. “Well, I guess I need to find somewhere else to live.” Neko commented heavily.
“Journey we go, journey we go!” Squawked Loki excitedly. Nekonata just looked at him confused…
