Hollow Maintenance

[Malcolm Green]

The New Year had bought changes to the Hedge.

The trod had moved a good foot toward the Hollow, warping the very landscape, and a blustery wind had shaken the tree's warped branches terribly. The shifting landscape and the windy tumult had gouged through mountain's protective landscaping. The Hollow's secret path and doorway had been exposed. Green didn't like that one bit, and so he had set out to fix things.

That was why he was out in the Hedge with "borrowed" landscaping equipment, rebuilding the secret entrance to his motley's shared Hollow. At least the misty winds had died down again; only the upper most branches of the tree's creaked and the occasional swirl of disturbed leaves and humous irritated him.

Seemingly tireless, the mountain was about half way through his self appointed task.

Probably time for a motley thread - Origins Gwydden Nathan Griffin

[Nathan Griffin]

His home far from his other home, far from his other other home. It was pleasant seeing it this time of year. Even more so with Green in it — there was no one he trusted more, and only Morgan as much. Fitting, all in all.

"Heigh-ho, Green. What the hell happened here?"

He set down his backpack and looked around. He could see why the disturbances might be a problem.

"Yeah, can't say I like the new view. You've done a good job of covering it up, though. Need any help?"

[Morgan Bellanar]

Morgan had followed not been following Nathan, no. It was just that the rat cage was a little heavy and she didn't want the bastards getting loose. So when she entered with backpack and squeaking metal cage, "Salutationsssss...um," she paused at the changes that had occurred, "er heh-heh hi Green, Nathan. uh," she pointed at the hole, "Hole? Tis aught supposed to be like that? Or could that hath been where, heh, the chicken ran out?"

The confused question came from her curse of speaking before thinking. She hadn't mentioned loosing the sacrificial chicken to anyone.

[Malcolm Green]

"Help would be good, yeah." The mountain paused in his labours.

"Dunno what went down here. Something with a powerful mantle... Or I dunno, bad ass dream powers. Or something. I uh... Haven't really been inside yet. I just got kinda got started out here. I salvaged the door at least. The trod turns there, now, yeah? I think I can turn that to our advantage."

He gestured so the Hunterheart could see what he meant: how the trod that had once been straight at the side of the Hollow was now sharply bent.

Morgan made her appearance. Green didn't give himself much time to process the little Beast's words. Not this time.

"Uh! What chicken?"

Would it even be a chicken if they were able to track it down?

[Nathan Griffin]

He was relieved to discover he wasn't the only one who had no idea what chicken Morgan was talking about. Then he remembered: hadn't she joked about having to sacrifice one, last time they were all here? Apparently not, and Hollow maintanance was eerily similar to voodoo magic down in New Orleans.

"Uh, yeah, that chicken's probably lost for good," some vague, unpleasant memories of hunting down a cockatrice Over There flashed through his head before he could repress them. "Not sure I like anything Green's suggesting either. If I'm hearing you right, something could be there right now?"

He eyed the entrance to the Hollow with an uneasy frown. He was of a mind to go in and check right away, get it over with. He kept mulling it over as he looked around at the tools Green had brought. "Guessing you want to put that door back?"

[Morgan Bellanar]

Morgan's shock at the mayhem had left her stupified at the sight. As she scanned the area her jaw fell open a little. Her mouth quickly snapped shut and her face turned red, veins glowing brighter as she blushed. "Erm, heh-heh, well I kinda mixed the Ward rituals with heh voodoo books so," she spun a knife into her hand and made a downward stabbing motion, "chicken. But uh, one gots away a'fore I started wearing gloves," the cage squeaked, "And uh, heh heh, rats work as well and cheaper too, heh."

After a pause Morgan added, "But if that tis the door then tis naught where the fowl fleed, heh," still blushing she changed the subject, "Uh, a'fore we all fix yon door to ye demense , shant we best check for intruders? I hath extra knives if ye doods need aught to arm ye with."

[Malcolm Green]

"Yeah. The door would be good." Green paused. "Argh. Yeah. Maybe check the Hollow out. Just in case. Then we can fix the door."

Green moved with deliberate slowness, ducking beneath branches and overhanging leaves that shivered in his frosty mantle. As he did, he dug through the "borrowed" equipment he had bought with him on this trip. The shovel looked like the most solid item in his kit, so he offered that to Nathan Griffin Gwydden .

"You know. Just in case."

This is a social thread so we can't do combat and so forth. The character's don't know that though So we can wrap the scene around the exploration of the Hollow.

[Nathan Griffin]

He stared at the shovel Green offered him. This whole situation was absurd.

"If I get jumpscared by a Hedge squirrel," he muttered, "don't tell anyone."

And, being who he was, once he made sure the flame of his lighter was flickering (he had grown weary of the thing, and even wearier of being weary at all) he led the way inside.

[Morgan Bellanar]

Morgan was last to enter, not because she had to secure the squeaking cage or out of cowardice. Not because she wasn't scared, she was always scared. In this case, she was too busy getting something out of her backpack. By the time Nathan was leading the way in Morgan was re-securing her left shoulder strap as she held a nearly foot long, small, white plastic cylinder in her left hand. Her right hand held a throwing knife.

A "crack" sounded when Morgan brought up her left knee and smacked the cylinder on it. A dull yellow light started to emit from the large glowstick. "Alr--huh?" she noticed the others proceeding, "Heh, right!"

Morgan follows after Nathan, both hands tensed to throw if she saw something.

[Malcolm Green]

Green followed to the left of, and slightly behind, Nathan. His arms hung limply at his side as he ducked under the lintel and passed into the Hollow proper. The sound of the cracking glow stick gave the mountain a momentary pause as he turned to check on Morgan. He grunted once, then continued on his way.

. . . . . .

They moved through the Hollow. It was an anticlimactic experience, but a necessary one. While the Hedge had shifted outside, the Hollow itself remained untouched. Lucky considering the door had been hanging off when Green had arrived.