#anywhere

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A FLASH, and three figures drop to the ground. A shock of cold - outside now and it's nearly dark....

"(*&#^@&% you, you festering boil on the ass of a whore!" She scratches, she punches, she yanks on hair, she kicks!

Stilz was NOT expecting a ride-along on his escape route! Taken by surprise, he is bowled over, and loses his grip on both Frankie AND his pocket-watch treasure!

Frankie scrambles free - but only for a moment - then he DIVES BACK IN! Kicking and scratching at the prone Spriggan!

"YOU DON'T TOUCH MY SISTER, YOU STINKY BUTT-FACE ASS-BUTT!" Oh, Janice would be aghast to hear a SWEAR from her dear boy!

"Frankie, no, c'mon..."

She grabs the watch - not sure what it is, but she smelled the glamour.

And then she pulls her brother off the Spriggan. Possibly stomping on the thallain with her lug soles for good measure.

"UUghhhhh..." He groans as she stomps on his stomach, winding him for a moment. "My -fckin kidneys. Geez, brat, can't you understand business?" Sitting up, he gropes for his watch, and then his expression darkens. "Now you give that back, fledgelet, or I'll have to stop being nice."

Wind starts to pick up a bit, whipping the scraggly hair around the spriggan's face.

"Fuck off." She hefts Frankie up into her arms. "Hold on tight!"

And RUNS.

CHIME?!

A never zips up, belling at Thistle. And a Second! Citrine, and Ochre! But they were back...

"HELP!" She screams. She ain't proud.

It takes her a moment to realize, but this trail looks familiar! She's not sure where exactly she is, outside, with trees, but these paths are wide, and trailbroken to a nice flat surface for riding on... and her Nevers are here!

"Get back here!" He howls. "Return my treasure! THIEF!" She can hear the Spriggan crashing after her, and then there is a knee-high, furry blur!

MUPPET comes barreling out of the darkness and tackles the Spriggan!

She barrels as fast as she can!

His yelling suddenly changes pitch!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGHGGHGHGHGH! HELP!"

Run-run-run-run and then - the furk? - LEAP! Her next bound sends her SAILING!

"HELP!"

A thunderous landing, but she keeps running - now with a longer lead. "SOMEBODY, PLEASE!" Muppet and the Nevers are help, but there has to be someone...

Nockers are most adequate at making a racket.

Frankie shrieks - not in fear, but in delight as he is dragged soaring through the air!

One never, to speed them up, makes chase music chimes! that helps, right?

Thistle is not an athlete, but she is stubborn!

And suddenly, like thunder, a shining host, breaks into view, a sword in her hand as she rides her steed! Nadeen is here

Nevers-Muppet-Trail-Horse-Nadeen... HOME. She's HOME.

Thistle drops to her knees, still clinging tightly to Frankie as she catches her breath. "It's ok. It's okay."

A huge bear of a dog thunders by Nadeen's side, a mountain of fluff.

Beyond Thistle, shrieks and growls from further down the path!

She doesn't follow, she's rocking Frankie and muttering comforting nonsense into his hair. Maybe it's comfort for her, who can say?

Nadeen calls out "Thistle? get Frankie to the lodge!"

Frankie is patting Thistle on the back. "Trina? I think it's okay. You jumped like a super-hero! That bad guy is getting eaten by wolves. I think you can lemme breath now..."

She swallows and nods. "Okay. How you doing? Can you walk?"

"Pyschka, find him..." Nadeen looks up to the raging winds and weather "I rule here, not he! BE STILL!" as she dictums the weather to simmer the fuck down so the dogs can get the scents

The whipping winds calm down like a scolded puppy!

Pyschka bounds forward, and soon the yelling STOPS.

Muppet trots back, his muzzle stained dark, and tail held HIGH! The teddy bear dog beelines to Thistle's side.

"I can walk! " Frankie assures her. He is not in the least phased - this is exciting now that he's no longer being threatened. "Hey a dog!!"

Now he's petting Muppet.

"That's Muppet. He's a good dog."

Muppet smells how alike Frankie is to Thistle! Lick!

Nadeen follows her dog

She stands and holds out a hand for her brother. "I bet the kitchen will have cocoa."

Muppet wags. Treats are awesome

Frankie takes his sister's hand with one hand, and trails the other hand to pat the funny teddy-bear dog with the other, as they trot back to the hold. Thistle knows the way...

Nadeen comes forth to find that the man who was squalling (and squall-ing) under the attack of a small dog has gone deathly silent under the press of a BIG dog.

Pyschka straddles the man, standing on his chest, and head lowered so that her growl is close enough for hot breath to hit his cheek.

The Spriggan whimpers.

She holds Frankie's hand too tight, but she tries to look calm.

"Marigold is gonna love you. She's Gwen's mom."

"Did you SEE that big dog?! And there was a horse!"

"That was Pyschka. She's half-bear."

Fury flickers in her eyes, just her eyes. Nadeen strides towards the Spriggan "You compound your crimes, filith. In old days, we Varich endured you abberitions as long as you kept your place. But you come here onto our hold, and steal what is ours? then you dare try to steal a kinsman of a fledge under our protection? Understand this... there is nothing you have to offer that I cannot take. No secret you have I cannot rip from you by dictum over time. And if that fails, I will show you levels of torture that would make a redcap vomit and get it that way. I will cut you open, place glass bits inside you, heal you again then heat the skin with a blow torch if you make this difficult for me. If you try to run. If you cast Cantrip. I can be swift in justice, my vengeance? Oh it is a slow carving pain."

"Maybe after cocoa you can see the horses and...." She pauses, then drops to a secret-sharing stage whisper. "the puppies."

The Spriggan does not quickly respond - perhaps afraid to move under the stormy threat of the bear-dog's fangs, and the lashing hurricane in the Baroness's eyes. He just barely manages a nod.

He squeaks, "Anything, just call off the beast."

Thistle pulls out her phone to tap a message as they head for the manor.

"no. this isn't a bargain, not a haggle. it is. never assume you have any power here. I am telling you how it it is." She says . Dismounting, she goes to the captive and with her non sword wiedlind hand she checks him over for hidden weaponns, dross, and more.