Caius glanced east, the light was starting to peak over the horizon, but the sun wasn't visible yet. Caius shifted his tails so his Little Snack went from laying on his stomach, to being face up. Aiya, the way his little arms tried to wrap around his tail! So adorable!!! Caius looked over the small red bird, more baby feathers had dislodged themselves during the night, but… less than two dozen… surely that was normal?
Caius glanced over the owl nest just in the tree line… clearly they had stolen some of his fur, but whatever, the owl did have several of her own feathers scattered around. Perhaps as the baby grew he would learn not to leave his feathers everywhere, even if they were dead feathers.
Caius was disappointed when his Little Snack started to stir just as the first rays of sun crested the horizon, Aiya, what a tease.
Ashton opened one eye to look at the giant fox blinking down at him, the picture of innocence. Hmm, Ashton glanced around, a few foxes up and about, his Ember and her family already bringing packs out, the Adarian's were starting to rise as cooking fires were lit.
Caius lifted the tail the little bird was using as a blanket resting his furry face on his Little Snack's legs, "Aiya, not even a greeting Little Snack, am I being ignored?" Caius just happened to be blocking the little one's view of regina, purely a coincidence.
Ashton pulled his hand out from under the giant head to scratch the fox's nose, "Morning Fox, I can finish brushing you after the children leave for the day, or did you have other plans in mind?"
Caius glanced around, staying up all day, and not sleeping at night wasn't really going to affect him, but… who would turn down a day of pampering? Aiya, Caius was not such a saint, "Aiya, who could say no to being brushed? Also, my beauty sleep!" Caius pretended to be aloof as he glanced away shaking out his fur.
Ashton sat up with a stretch and yawn as tables were prepared for breakfast. Ashton raised a brow when Jaxon pushed Monroe out in a wheelchair, shortly after all the imperials and nobles were seated at the table.
Caius debated changing to his human form… nhe, eating charred meat… was not appealing. Caius walked over with his Little Snack still half wrapped in his tails.
Ashton didn't miss the large fox's disinterest in the food and people as the tails formed his lounger, table, and blanket. The tails really were very versatile… it would be a pity if he lost the use of them.
"Morning Young Song, did you sleep well?" Zane greeted with a nod as he took his seat. Zane was only slightly surprised that the imperial nobles had joined them, no doubt encouraged by Talvi last night.
Ashton covered his mouth as a yawn escaped, "Very well, how did you sleep highness?" Ashton asked hiding a smile behind his yawn. If Ashton was not mistaken, there were quite a few claw marks near the Adarian tents.
Zane gave a subtle glanced to one fox in particular, Rahm was blinking up at them innocently… "As well as can be expected under the circumstances, do you have any plans for the day?" Zane glanced at the piping hot tea placed in front of him. Yes, hot tea on a cool morning to help him stay awake.
Rommel gracefully accepted the cup of tea, and the pot. Elixir of the beast gods, or at least the beast of Pride. Rommel noticed a pot of tea also placed on Young Song's… tail table? Ugh, it was too early to think. Rommel almost groaned with the first sip of perfectly bitter black tea.
Ashton accepted the cup with a small sip, hmm, it would seem the little flower had made this tea personally. Ashton glanced down the table, hmm, what an innocent looking fox.
Rahm's fur bristled as he looked around warily, then he slowly turned his head to papa bird, who quirked an eyebrow at him. Rahm curled up as small as possible and rested his tail over his eyes, eh? What fox? There was no fox here. Just a furry rock.
Rommel's left eye twitched seeing Rahm curl up, "Huh?" Rommel glanced around, what exactly had he missed to make that… that Lord Fox curl up?
Zane filed the interaction away… maybe he should complain the next time a fox played catch with a rabbit around his tent. Or would that be too petty? Zane jolted from how hot the tea was. The hot, bitter brew was perfect, Zane could now string a few thoughts together.
Ashton hid his smile behind another sip of tea, "I wonder what your kin were up to last night, to look so guilty from a single glance." Ashton asked as food was brought out.
Caius raised his head to look at a peculiar furry rock, "Aiya? Who looks guilty? Were one of you naughty last night?!" Caius demanded turning his head from side to side inspecting his kin. All of his kin started to look around as well, clearly, they all put righteousness before kin. Aiya, what outstanding family morals!
Rommel's eye twitched so hard he thought he was going to have cramps, but was he going to say anything? Absolutely not. Rommel gulped down his tea, then slowly refilled the piping hot liquid of life.
Hazel kept her head down, but smiled as she slowly sipped her own tea. When her pocket shifted she quickly set her tea down to clutch her skirt pocket. After there were no other unexpected movements, Hazel slowly patted her pocket comfortingly before she continued to sip her tea.
"No one will confess? Aiya, who was victimized? I will get you justice." Caius finally announced staunchly as he whipped the ground with his remaining tails. Caius deliberately turned to the Adar prince and general, "Speak up, how will we know if you don't say?" Caius gave them both a wide, encouraging smile.
Zane grimaced, it would appear that while Young Song might reprimand the fox, Lord Caius dared them to actually say anything. "My lord, I was just listening to the sounds of nature and couldn't sleep. I don't believe there were any victims at all." When Young Song tilted his head with a frown, Zane wished he could rewind time and start this morning over.
"Fox," Ashton tilted his tea just enough for it to stir slightly, soon a large tail reached out and picked a much smaller fox. Ashton quirked an eye when the smaller fox remained perfectly still. Even as the smaller fox was lifted through the air and presented face to face with Ashton, his tail remained over his face, legs tucked, body curled.
Caius inspected the furry rock, "Aiya, what a funny looking rock. Perhaps we should give it as a gift to the victimized princeling." Caius made a show of rolling the rock up in his tail, then rolling it back out. Yep, just a furry rock, nothing extraordinary about it.
Ashton shook his head, "Little fox?" The fox remained still as a statue, "Little fox, do you think I would take the prince's side over yours?" Ashton asked taking another sip. These foxes and their antics, never a dull moment…
Caius watched as the rock's tail shifted ever so slightly to reveal a single eye, "Aiya, since when do furry rocks have eyes???" Caius demanded as he flattened his tail so the little ones were face to face.
Zane kept his smile but his grip on the teacup tensed. Being gifted one of Lord Caius's kin? Gifting poison would be a less painful way to die. Zane wished he'd just kept silent, what resolution had he really been expecting?
Ashton reached out to scratch the fox's nose, "Little fox, I am not a tyrant. If I were a certain princeling, I wouldn't be looking for trouble, I would be looking to make amends. With so many kin offended on the big fox's behalf, I will not spoil your fun." Ashton added with a glance around the table.
Rommel stilled, Young Song's shift in attitude seemed rather… abrupt. Just the other day Young Song had been defending them, now… had something changed? Rommel glanced around the tables, but everyone looked about as confused as he felt.
Rahm slowly lifted his tail, was this… permission from papa bird? Rahm gave a low bark of aggrievement as he widened his eyes. Clearly, he was innocent, they were throwing dirty water at him. Was it so wrong to hunt for a midnight snack? How could he possibly control where the rabbit ran?
Ashton took his hand back to take another sip of tea, "I believe in making wrongs right in a timely manner, just glossing over the issue… is a mild pet peeve of mine." The fox's ears sprang up as his tail waved back and forth. "Are you no longer pretending to be a furry rock then?"
Rahm raised his head and looked around, him? A majestic fox pretending to be a rock? Ridiculous. Rahm sat up tall showing off his beautiful fur, as if rocks had fur. What a silly papa bird.
"I must have been mistaken," Ashton agreed laying back, feeling their meaning was very different from hearing the words. Then again, this particular fox probably wasn't able to speak in his fox form.
Rahm then stood up stretching his front paws forward, then before father Caius could protest, stole an apple from papa birds plate and ran off. Since Rahm hadn't been able to catch that wily rabbit last night, perhaps he could lure it with this apple.
Caius stared aghast, what a brat! "That was my apple!" Caius curled up aggrieved around his Little Snack, "Aiya… why steal from me? I was just sitting here… maybe I should eat him as revenge…" Caius muttered glaring at his kin who had darted off into the forest.
Ashton patted his tail table, "I would take it as a compliment, now that the morning quarrels have been addressed, shall we eat?" Ashton glanced over the tables, one would think they were all mice silently hiding from a cat.
Neolani nodded, "I agree, today is going to be a beautiful day. We will be heading to the falls just up the northeast mountains." Neolani announced as food was placed on the tables. Melia and Azarius had barely been able to sleep from excitement last night, so now both were yawning constantly and swaying like leaves in the wind.
Noelle smiled as she sipped her morning tea, "It is a beautiful location, I believe we will be following the Adar delegation to see if we can find any more goblins." If the Inago had been going hunting, Noelle planned to see if they could follow them. Alas inviting themselves to a vacation day away with the Regina's family would probably not be the wisest of decisions.
Neolani nodded then turned to Theodore and crown prince, "Crown prince Terrence? Your plans for the day?" While she didn't personally care what they did, best to ensure they didn't follow her family around.
Terrence glanced to his brother and nephew, "I intend to head northwest, we heard from a few mercenaries yesterday that there is a reward out for a strange ape like leader beast." Terrence had never heard of the beast before, "A satori, they called it. Curtis, Gregorio, and myself were invited to follow the mercenaries for reconnaissance today," Terrence didn't add that they would only attack if they thought they had a chance.
Ashton was making decent progress on his breakfast when he heard Terrence, "Mage Jakub, if I recall a satori is a key ingredient to make a mind-reeding potion or ward. Will you be joining them?" Ashton didn't look up from his plate as the rest of the table went silent.
Terrence glanced around, he didn't see the necromancer anywhere… nor did he want to. Yesterdays near crazed necromancer and bloody priests had been a chilling sight, not to mention he'd heard the whispers that the necromancer traveled with members of the Crow's assassin guild.
Novak released the sight dispersal ward, they had been standing off to the side under the trees. Novak already had them all geared up and ready to go but Jakub had insisted they wait until the beasts finished eating. Whether they had waited due to mage instinct or respect Novak wasn't sure, but it was good to know the beasts had been aware of their presence.