The morning was still fresh, but Audrey always rose early and it had become a habit to pop into the Tavern to gather news and hear the gossip from her friend, Alice.
"I better go see if Gabriel is up and wanting of anything now, Alice", she gets up from her stool by the bar and thanks her friend for the chat. "I will fetch you that fish from the fishmonger at the Market in Cheshire if you want. I will be heading into town in a bit."
Alice (NPC) beams: "Aye, that would be grand, Audrey. Here is some coin, but mind he gives you only the freshest catch from today. That fishmonger is a sly one!"
Audrey Ashgrove laughs, taking the coin and moving towards the door, "Do not fear... I will charm him into giving me a fish that is just breathing its last for you, my dear!"
She heads outside, around the corner and down the stairs towards the home she now shares with Gabriel. After such a long time of hiding their feelings under the eyes of her watchful father, it was exhilirating to live freely and finally work at becoming a Mage. Her father would never allow it, but Gabe was not so covetous with his knowledge. It would take a good long while until all the jumbled bits of learning that she had gleaned from watching her father, the ArchMage, began to make real sense to her, but she was happier than she had ever been.
Audrey Ashgrove enters the house to find Gabe already at his desk, nose deep in his books.
"Good morning, darling. Did you sleep well?", she wraps her arms around him from behind and pecks him on the cheek. "I thought I would head for Cheshire and see if I can get some fresh eggs from Farmer Can for your breakfast."
She looks amused as Gabe murmurs his greetings without raising his head, smiling at the intensity he brings to his studies, knowing that once he has mastered something new, he will pass on that knowledge to her.
Grabbing her short cloak, she tugs at his ear in passing, giggling softly, and closes the door noislessly, leaving Gabe to his books and ingredients and instructions for concocting some new brew or salve. She had gathered thyme and the bark of a young oak sapling at dusk last night according to his wishes, but still had to find the elusive mugwart when the sun was at its highest peak.
Audrey Ashgrove pushes a strand of hair behind her ear and heads off under the imposing arches of the Citadel walls towards Cheshire.
Audrey Ashgrove waves back as Lisbeth salutes quickly before turning her attention to her hound, laying lazily in the sunshine.
Crossing the docks, she emerges from the main entrance to Cheshire, returning the nod of the guard at his post and taking in the early morning activity of the awakening town.
Moving around the lake, her eyes fall on the strikingly white cat sitting forlornly on a barrel outside the Inn. Usually quite friendly and busy trailing any townspeople who might spare it some scraps, it watched her approach without a twitch.
Audrey Ashgrove stands near the snowy cat and croons softly, "Greetings fair feline, why so somber on this lovely morn?"
The cat seems to sag into itself, neither meowing its sorrow, nor moving away. It's shrewd eyes appear filled with sadness.
Audrey Ashgrove furrows her brow, surveys the Market stalls and suddenly heads directly to the fishmonger's stall where she smiles winingly, before enquiring about the freshest wares.The Fishmonger rubs his sleepy eyes, tired from a night of fishing... too tired to bother with cajoling the young woman into buying the remainder of yesterday's catch.
Audrey Ashgrove passes the man the coins and takes the wrapped fish for Alice, pleased at its pungent aroma, sure she has made a good buy.
Then, on a whim, she passes him another coin, points to a mid sized fish among his wares, "I'll take that too, thank you."
The Fishmonger hands over her purchase, a smile curling his lips as he wishes her a pleasant day.
Audrey Ashgrove returns to the cat, passes it by and enters the Inn, returning within minutes, a plate in her hand.
Unfolding the fish, she places it on the plate before the drooping cat, her voice soft and inviting, "Come, my snow-white friend, have some breakfast. The cook from the Inn just told me your camerade, the Cheshire Cat, is feared missing. She thought I might have seen him. I guess that explains your glum mood."
She watches the cat sniff at the fish, its small pink tongue tentatively tasting for freshness. The cat scutinizes Audrey as she kneels before it, its gaze unreadable, but when it lowers its head once more, it begins tearing at the fish with its paw and teeth.
Audrey Ashgrove grins with delight, rising slowly, "there you go, nothing is as bad as it seems and I'm sure your ginger friend will come scampering around the corner before you have a chance to finish that morsel. It's up to you if you want to share it then though!"
Walking briskly across the town square towards the bridge leading to the farm belonging to Farmer Can, she wonders at the concern of the cook... and even the cat... about the missing mouser from the Cheshire Cat Inn. Cats went off hunting and marauding all the time. Audrey Ashgrove shrugs, "no need for such distress, surely. People do get so attached to their pets!"
But as she makes her way over the bridge and along the well worn path to the farm, hoping to purchase eggs for Gabe's breakfast from Farmer Can, she finds herself peering among the bushes and up trees for the meandering ginger feline and even as she enters the farmyard, her eyes still roam among the assorted animals for a glimpse of orange fur....To be continued...
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