--Midway between Surwood and Vienda--

A small crowd was gathered around Annie's kint-- as far as Purgan, Sidzara and Tomeia were concerned, it was as much hers anymore as theirs-- and the whole lot of them were laughing, cutting up, and having a good time over dinner.

A little boy, not more than eight, was trying to be the center of attention and pulled at Sidzara and Tomeia's hands, "Hey! Hey! Sidzi! Sidzi! Tommy! What do you get--hey! Hey! What do you get when you cross an Everine with a chicken?"

Sidzara snorted into her free hand and leaned in to the boy, "I dunno, Dizzy, what?"

"A pecking order!"

The group snorted and laughed at the child's pun. Tomeia managed to loose her hand from his and began dishing out stew for them from the cauldron they had over the fire, "Oh, Dizzy, I think you could'a out-pun anyone here, 'sept'in maybe yer Auntie Anini!"

The group laughed, those nearest Annie giving her a few joking elbows. Purgan brought her a bowl of stew and settled down on the grass with one of his own, "Oh, now, don't start that again, Tomeia. I don't think my abs c'n take another night 'o laughter like that."

"Oh, laughter's good for yeh," Tomeia asserted, "Ent it, Anini?"

"Laughter's plent benny fer ye, aye," Annie nodded in agreement. "Exceptin' fer the 'spoutin' warter out ye' nose' part." She took a bite of the stew Purgan had brought. "Then again, it do clean out yer sinuses pretty well."

She cast a sly look at the young boy. "Ye ever hear the story o' the wick what acciden'ly ran o're another witch's osta kit? He brought it back to 'er kint, see, an' doffed his hat," she scooped off her fedora and mockingly bowed to Sidzi. "Then he says to 'er, he says 'Epaemo, macha beata, but I'm afeared I jus' ran o're ye osta wit' me kint.' She takes it from 'im, her face runnin' wet wit' mant manna tears, an' she says, 'Oh, kov, wot a sad tale!' Then he says to 'er, 'Aye, rosh, an' I'd like to replace yer kit, if'n ye'd let me.' She looks at 'im sorta funny like, an' then asks, 'Tha's all well an' good, kov, but 'ow're ye at catchin' mice?"

Annie crossed her arms, and looked at the young boy with a 'top that!' look in her eye. She greatly enjoyed nights like these, even though it usually meant her food went cold before she could manage to eat it all.

The group roared in laughter. They knew they could count on Annie for a good one. Her benny attitude and big personality had grown on them over the past week.

The lad looked up at her with big eyes. She could practically see the little cogs turning in his head in their glassy surface as he contemplated his next move, "What'd the grape say when it got squished?"

Purgan responded with a smile and the obligatory, "I don't know. What?"

"Nothin'. But it let out a little whine," his gap-toothed grin adding charm to the line.

The group chuckled, "Oh, ho, Annie! He may have yeh!"

"Nor if'n I kin help it!" Annie laughed.

"Two 'ingles were sittin' atop a fencepost. Th' first un turns to the other an' says, 'Corks, if it ent clockin' hotter'n hades out here!' The second yelps out 'Egad! A talkin' hingle!'

Annie took another bite of stew before continuing.

"Whorrya call a kov wit' no arms an' no legs, floatin' out inna water?" She waited a moment for an attempted guess.

"Bob!"





*(You have no idea how hard it is to translate RL jokes to Tek. I need to find a joke book.)*

((Where do you think I've been getting my material? ))

Everyone snorted and chuckled, but the boy got a mild I-don't-get-it expression before continuing, "Two weevil brothers grew up t'gether an' after they grew up, one of'em wen' off'n became a weevil doctor, an' t'other sat aroun' an' became a bum. All t'other weevils called'im the lesser 'a two weevils."

He erupted in high giggles at his own funny, and he was so cute Tomeia couldn't help giving him a hug as laughter pealed around the campfire.

"I don't know what we could stand much more 'a this, Demdi! Maybe you should forfeit tonight an' let Auntie Anini off easy?" She looked up at Annie with a wink.

Demdi looked at Annie skeptically before folding his arms dramatically, "Oh, alright." His seriousness didn't last long, however, as he broke into a grin and leaped at Annie, toppling her backwards into a hug the size of Vita. "You c'n win, this time, d'beata!"

"Whoar-whumph!" Annie let out a whoop as she toppled backwards. "Corks an' screws, I known sacks o' taters wot didn' pack as mucha punch!" She rolled over, wrapping the boy in a return bear hug. "Hoi, Demdi? Did Purgi tell ye 'bout the job he got in Vienda? He been hired at a clock fact'ry. They tol' 'im he's gettin' paid t'stan' 'round all day an' make faces!" Annie tickled the boy under his arms and laughed. "Ye'd be great at tha' job, Demdi, it's all I e're see ye do!"

Annie's laughter subsided into a cheerful grin. "Ha' ye e're been to see Vienda? The gates are an amazin' sight, an' that's th'gods honest truth. Flags wavin', streets full o' carts an' stalls, food like ye'd never seen...it's like livin' in Surwood e'ry day!"

She looked over at the twins. "Mayhap ye could stay a time, see the sights an' such. Ye'd enjoy it, I'm sure!"

Purgan got a confused look as Annie mentioned him working in Vienda, but rolled his eyes with a chuckle when she hit the punchline, "Oh, now, watch yerself, beata."



Demdi stuck his tongue out and pulled at his ears obligingly, "Mlaaaaa!"

With a grin, he turned and settled into Annie's lap. Tomeia handed him his own little bowl of stew and a hunk of bread for him and Annie to share.



Sidzara and Tomeia looked at one another, rare frowns etching onto their faces, as well as several others in the group, as a slightly uncomfortable silence ensued.

Purgan spoke up, as was his wont, "We don't have writs, love. We ent tsats, so we can't e'en go in the city, really, from what I've heard. We're settin' up outside'a the gates, an' we're hopin' ta get enough business there. The banishin's gonna leave a dent innit, fer sure."

Annie nodded. "Oes, yeah, I keep fergettin' 'bout tha--" she suddenly cut off, her eyes wide and staring at nothing in particular.

"Corks."

Deftly setting Demdi aside, Annie jumped from her seat and rushed inside the kint. Sounds of rummaging came from inside, mixed with angry grunts, until silence reigned once again. Annie came to the door, her hair ruffled and her face not at all pleased with life.

"The riots what brought all o' this on di'n 'appen 'til the day after I left urbo," she said, her voice quiet and dejected. "Me, not bein' a mind reader er nothin', di'n think t'pack all o' wot I 'ad when I left--I were in a bit o' a rush, see, what with Emme..." Annie trailed off for a moment, and sniffed loudly before continuing. "Any'oo, I only took wot I needed--even left me hat--when I left, thinkin' I'd be back in a week er two. Me writ? 'Sin me desk. In me room. Back in Vienda." The reporter's shoulders slumped.

"Ent s'posin' nobody here knows anybody wot lives in town who could vouch fer me, eh?"




*(Didn't Guaril say Annie had an aunt in town? I can't remember the name...)*

((A man named Guaril once said, "An' I think yer other aunt's gotta writ in Vienda, too, come tae think o'it..."))

An old man who Annie knew as Brennan nodded his bald and tattooed head as Annie returned, "You got a daobeata what went tsat some manna maw back. Beata t'yer gitgka on yer da's side. Gretchen by name, iffin' yeh want t'send'er a message r' summat. We'll be reachin' the city here t'morrow even' 'r the next morn."

Purgan frowned a little. Annie was growing on him, and the idea of her leaving so soon didn't appeal to him. Sidzara and Tomeia were a little more obvious in their opinions.

"Why d'you want t'go back urbo, anyhoo, Nini?" one asked.
"Yeah, Anini, why d'you wanna leave us?" Tomeia continued.
"Don't'cha like us?"
"Did we make yeh mad?"
"D'we not cook yer fav'rite right?"
"D'you not like our cookies?"
"Wahahahaaaaa!" They cried with gusto, draping themselves on either side of Annie and generally making a scene. The others laughed again at the twins' antics.

*(Da's side. Daoa was a golly.)*

"Gretchen, Gretchen, gotta remember that," Annie mumbled as she reached for a scrap of paper and a pencil to write the name down. Before she could, however, the twins launched their attack on either side; armed with quick banter and tears.

"I don' wanna leave ye, o' course I like ye, no ye di'n make me mad, ye're the two best cooks I ever met, I love yer cookies, oh fer clock's sake, will ye please stop yer catterwailin'? Ye'll wake any babies wot might be sleepin' in the near viscinity!"

Annie put her arms around her two sniffling and slightly soggy cousins. "Shush, now, an' I'll try an' 'splain. In town, I'm a reporter, a newspaper gal. I hunt fer news, look fer truth, an' when people try t'hide it from me I expose it to the public. I been in th'news world fer so long, it's all I kin do. All I wanna do. I'm good at it. How d'ye think I found ye in the first place? A bit o' sleuthin', diggin' fer facts an' hearin' stories will lead ye anywhere, jus' about."

The reporter gave Sidzara and Tomeia a hug each and smiled. "There ent nothin' t'report on out here, 'ceptin' maybe wot's fer dinner. I ent sat behind me typewriter in nearbouts two months, an' I'm itchin' fer some news. Kills me bad enough I weren't in town fer the riots--now THOSE woulda been some headlines!--an' even though I love it here an' bein' wit' me fam...if'n I don' get back to Vienda an' sniff out a good story, I may go crazier'n the two o' ye put together!" Annie laughed.

"Asides, Purgi said ye'd be campin' out the gates fer a while, lookin' fer business. I kin always stay wit' ye an' work in town. Bring a paper er two, let ye in on some juicy gossip...maybe I'll even write up a piece on th'Wonder Twins' cookin' skills an' send a few more folk yer way!"



*(Appologies for monologuiness.)*

((Monologue away SFSR, ))

The twins sniffled theatrically at her sides, placated for the moment.

Purgan nodded, "We'd be happy t'have yeh with us as long's yeh plan t'stay."

The others in the group agreed. She was good for their souls.