Sandwiches and Plans

Dolan and Andelena's apartment, midmorning.

The snow that had fallen overnight only gave Dolan another reason to get back to his flat and stay there. He'd paused only to tend the bite wounds on his neck, covering them with a pad and securing with bandages, before flopping down on the sofa in hose and trousers, a snow-wetted cloak for his blanket, snow-covered boots by the door. He hadn't bothered to put the eye back in, either. For a while, he'd lain awake, the vivid nightmares refusing to leave his mind, but eventually, he had slipped back into a sleep that had eluded him the previous night.

He's entirely forgotten about Auranar's sandwiches.

Thus it's probably entirely a surprise when a knock comes to his door. It is after all Auranar, standing in the snow up to her dress. The air is freezing, and when the first knock doesn't bring Dolan to the door she waits a few seconds and then knocks again more urgently. Hoping that he's home and that she hadn't walked all this way with fresh sandwiches only to find that nobody was home.

There had been footsteps facing upstairs, so someone had come up after the snow started. So there is that much. Finally, there's a *thump* from inside, a rustling, and footsteps approaching the door.

When the door does open, the look is not good. Not at all. Dolan has a good case of bedhead going, coupled with something matted in one side of his dark hair. There is no eye, and no eyepatch, only the concave mount where the eye ought to be. It has a series of tiny hooks, latches, and springs inside it, although they are hard to see in the dimness. He is shirtless, wearing only hose and trousers, the usual scars of an adventurer coupled with an extension of the claws and acid across part of his chest.

Auranar blinks at Dolan, surprised by his state and quickly focuses her attention on his good eye. Staring at her friend would be rude beyond belief, but she's surprised by the extent of his wounds, and the fact that he'd come out in such a condition. "I'm so sorry Dolan! I didn't mean to interrupt... ah... I'll come back another time?"

"Auranar? Fuck," and suddenly, everything snaps into focus for Dolan. "I am so sorry. Last night was rough." And what's with the bandage on his neck? "Uh, come in, and I'll be back in a minute." He opens the door and steps aside, then turns away, leaving her to close the door behind her while he swiftly disappears into the back room.

It honestly looks like he'd been sleeping on the sofa and fell out of it, to judge by the wet cloak on the floor and the mussed cushions.

In truth, if he had closed the door, she might have left then. Just because it was so patently obvious that something was wrong and that she shouldn't be here. Yet the door is open, and she can't stand to allow their home to become chilled. So in she goes and closes the door behind her. She follows him inside and notes the cloak, the mussed cushions on the couch, and his back as he disappears to get himself something to wear. "Really... I can leave if you need to... sleep." She holds her basket with both hands, awkward in the entryway.

In just a couple of minutes, Dolan returns. His hair is pulled back with a leather thong into a tail at the nape of his neck, he's added two shirts and tucked them in with a belt over all, and his eye is safely back where it belongs. "I am so sorry," he apologizes. "I forgot you were coming over." He looks exhausted, but is at least managing something of a smile. It's a sham, though. "Sorry if I was an ass last night. Rocky can kiss my ass, he's never coming near Andie again."

Auranar offers Dolan a warmer smile than the man manages to offer her. "It's alright, it seems to me like you maybe didn't get much sleep last night. I don't blame you for yesterday Dolan." She glances down briefly. "I can't imagine how scary it must be to have to deal with that vampire. To sit near him and have his attention like that... And it sounds like there's one heck of a story between you and Rocky. I'm sure you have a good reason for feeling the way you do."

"No. I didn't." Dolan's answer is short. "I'd offer you wine, but I'm sure you'd rather have something hot." He leans down and grabs the cloak, tosses it over the rest of his gear to dry, and gestures that she should take the empty space. "If you want to know why Rocky can kiss my ass, I'll tell you." Instead of settling down, though, he goes to stoke the banked fire into life, tossing another log on it, and then filling a teakettle from his waterskin and setting it over the fire. "Won't make you open the door to fill the kettle, though that's what Mama and Papa did when I was growing up."

"Snow tea?" Auranar smiles at Dolan. "We did that at the orphanage when I was little too." She settles into the seat offered, taking off her own cloak and setting it over the arm of the couch for lack of a better place to put it.

"I admit I'm curious what happened that you have such a disliking of him. I mean you said that he let someone go who tried to hurt Andelena? But that feels like only half the story." The wild elf watches Dolan as she talks, trying to get a good measure of him. There's a bandage on his neck as well. She wasn't sure what had caused that. Shaving?

He spins the tale of what had happened in that little village, leaving nothing out. His storytelling style is direct and minces no words. "The demon Mudgett was bound to was the same one that I was damn near sacrificed to. I think he can summon it back at will. It was in the bed with Andie, and I was damned lucky she was as quick as she was."

He leans forward, elbows on knees, and scrubs at his flesh and blood eye. "Rocky took his sweet damn time getting there, and then demanded that he be properly tried by the village. Wouldn't let it go and - yeah, that's what the Sunlord teaches. But, there's a thing you've got to know about the hinterlands. They're damned insular that far out. The guy they know and the guy they don't? They'll side with the guy they know, every time. Sometimes the law and justice are two different things, and because he doesn't understand that, a serial killer attached to a demon is still on the loose, and might be after my family."

"Something is, anyway. I've got to get out there and get them back. From wherever they are."

"Well... Shit." It's not often that Auranar curses, and when she does just then it's quiet and firm. "I can see why you're upset Dolan. That's... having something like that after your family?" She's gripping her arms tightly, holding herself. Her basket of sandwiches sitting forgotten beside her.

"Gods but... All that and you meet up with Kol last night. How are you holding things together Dolan?" She looks at him seriously.

Almost at once, Dolan sighs heavily. "I'm sorry, Auranar. It's a lot, and I'm not meaning to dump on you. I was short with you yesterday, and I wanted you to know why. I just can't deal with someone trying to act like my mama right now. Not even when it's your girlfriend. I was trying to make sure he didn't hurt nobody, and maybe trying to learn enough to lay that trap. I'm not meaning to switch sides or nothing."

The wild elf shakes her head. "Dolan. It's okay. Verna... she's not very good with people. She's learning, but she can be a little bit of a mess when it comes to social things." Auranar smiles fondly, as if this failing in her fiance is something that she that makes her care about the other woman all the more. "It's not an excuse, but I wanted you to know that. And... I don't blame you for last night. After everything we're all lucky you didn't punch someone."

"I was damn tempted, Auranar. Damn tempted." Dolan's not quite looking at her, just sort of staring off into space glassy-eyed. He still looks exhausted, and one hand automatically goes to the bandage on his neck. He hasn't explained that yet, though. "Telamon's going to help me and Andie find that demon, and find my family, and find out what's going on. Mudgett was laying for me. It was all too pat, too convenient. I've let it go too long trying to deal with these totems."

"We'll hold the fort on the totems Dolan. In fact... if you want someone to take them for a little while... I can hold onto them until you get back. So that you have one less thing to worry about." Auranar offers this easily, though she feels a small rush of adrenaline after the words are out. "Can I ask... What happened to your neck? It looks like more than a shaving accident."

Dolan's hand automatically goes to the bandage on his neck at the question. "Oh, um. So I - had a lot of nightmares last night. About Kol. When I woke up, I was bleeding, like he'd bitten me in my sleep. I ... it won't heal so easily. I couldn't do it and neither could the Seer I talked to." His fingers on it are gentle and cautious. "I'm working with the Temple of Dreams to get some answers," he hastens to add, clearly trying to be reassuring. "I - don't want to think about what Andie's going to say."

Auranar frowns at the injury. "Would you... mind if I tried?" She looks embarrassed a moment. "Not that I think I am a better healer than you or- you know never mind."

She glances aside. "I wish I could be more helpful, but... I don't know what else to do but offer to help in any way I can. I don't know anything about vampires or the dream realm really. I've been starting some research into the subject but... There's so much information and none of it really seems that useful."

"It might be," Dolan looks up, seemingly heartened, and is about to go on when the teakettle by the hearth whistles. "Just a minute." He gets up and, with considerably more aplomb, sets about setting out teacups and a pot, pouring water from the kettle into it, adding tea, and bringing the teapot in one hand and a pair of cups with the other. These he sets down on the table between them, to steep. "It needs a few minutes to steep," he warns.

While they've been talking, the fire's warmth begins to permeate the small flat.

"Information is never wasted, Auranar. Anything you know might help us take something nasty down later. The more you know about your enemy, the more of an upper hand you have."

Auranar relaxes a little, and after Dolan brings the tea around she's reminded of the sandwiches. "That's alright. I'll get the sandwiches out while we wait for the steeping." Her dark eyes glitter with goodwill as she digs the sandwiches out of her little basket. There's enough of them to feed Dolan and Andelena and herself twice over. The little basket is veritably _packed_. "I wasn't sure how hungry you'd be and I made a loaf of fresh bread so I figured I'd use it all." She grins.

Dolan simple _stares_ at the basket, as if in disbelief. "Auranar-" he starts. "You shouldn't have -" he trails off, scrubbing at the mobile side of his face. "This is - thank you so much. I don't know when Andie is going to be home-" He seems to be floundering for words.

Auranar looks embarrassed. "Not at all! It's the least I can do. Really. I mean... I'm not a fighter like you who can go off and battle werewolves and demons... And I know that my research helps but... At least I can make you and Andelena sandwiches. Sometimes it's the little things you know? Now you don't have to worry about making food for a little while right? They'll last." She flashes him a smile.

Still Dolan is lost for words, just _staring_ at the basket. "Thank you, so much. I - probably ought to eat something," he admits. "I ate at the inn yesterday-" He trails off, then sits up as if to reach for one of the wrapped sandwiches in the basket. "I cant' tell you how grateful I am for this. I was expecting maybe a couple so I'd stick around long enough to talk."

"Food feeds the soul." Auranar says as if she's quoting something, and scoots the basket closer so he can take as many sandwiches as he wants. She's already picked one out for herself. "They're mostly meat sandwiches with a little bit of lettuce I managed to find and keep frozen. So. Andelena doesn't know yet? About the..." She taps her neck to indicate his bite.

Dolan hesitates, then takes two, sets them aside, and sets about pouring tea for the both of them. "No, I'll have to calm her down when she finds out. I've - I've just got to get out of here for a few days. I've got to help Mama and Papa. I can't deal with the totems right now. Kol's after me, and the Nightmare showed up once when I was trying to figure out the totem. I need to let things cool off, or someone is going to get hurt." _And that someone might just be Andie._ "I'm not getting anything out of it anyway. No answers. The Temple of Dreams is offering to help. If I do them a favor, I can have them summon one of Eluna's servitors to ask a few questions of."

Auranar takes a breath, opens her mouth, and promptly closes it. For a moment all she does is stare at her sandwich before she trades it for the tea. It's too hot to drink a the moment, but the warmth of it is welcome even with the fire now warming things nicely. "Are you sure you wouldn't like me to take the totems into my care for a bit? I won't ask again if the answer is no, but... I don't want you over-burdened Dolan."

"I thought you had concerns about having so many in one place, Auranar. I don't want to do that to you and Verna." Dolan, meanwhile, is unwrapping a sandwich, and diving in with unexpected enthusiasm as his stomach has started to rumble. It is true that sleep is food, and food is sleep. "Besides - I think Verna feels like she's personally responsible for Kol Demontry. That might be, but that doesn't mean that I want her going off and doing something stupid."

She can't help but nod, agreeing with Dolan's words. "You're not wrong. I do have concerns about so many in one place but... I'm willing to risk that danger. You won't be gone forever Dolan, and I know they're better in your hands than mine but... I want to help you know? As for Verna. I'll keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't do anything foolish. As best I can." Auranar smiles gently.

"Then we'll hold 'em," Dolan says, the words muffled around a mouthful of sandwich, and the look of sublime appreciation he wears is almost comical. He takes a minute, sandwich in hand, to chew and swallow and enjoy the myriad flavors of meat, cheese, and fresh bread, before going on. "They're fine in the haversacks, I don't put them both in the same pocket. Not sure what Andie does. Just - look. I've got to help. Yes, Kol scares the shit out of me. Not least because I know what he wants. The idea of actually walking in there? Makes my skin crawl. But - it gives us all a chance to find that camp. Take the totems back."

Auranar smiles far more broadly to see the efforts of her hard work enjoyed so by Dolan. She even goes so far as to try a smaller bite of her own sandwich just to see if it got better somehow. It was good, and the chill from outside or hunger was a good spice for them. "That plan... it scares me too. I mean... if he tries to turn you into a vampire before you reach your destination... or if he reaches there before everyone else can and you're alone with him for..." She bites her lip. "I trust you Dolan, and it's a good plan. I just worry about you in it."

Where is Andie? Where was Andie? The questions been asked, as well as fears expressed about what the Sunguard will do. Well, she's come knocking--metaphorically. (Who knocks on their own front door?) The sound of footsteps and jangling keys announces Andelena's approach, followed by the Sunguard yelling out, "Bry, I'm home!" in a slightly exhausted tone. She's dressed in full plate armor and regalia of her station, and she pulls her helmet off with a deep sigh as she walks further into the apartment...

Where, of course, she sees Dolan and Auranar. "Oh, fuck me sideways, I fucking /love/ when breakfast is already waiting for me," Andelena says with a grin. "Hey Auran--"

The steel-grey eyes catch sight of the bandage on Dolan's neck, and the words catch in her mouth. "--nuh-what the fuck? Bry, what happened? Are you okay?" The cheer dissolves immediately from her face, replaced by concern, as she walks over to close the distance between herself and her man.

The noise gets Dolan's attention immediately, and he's already halfway to standing, his sandwich set down on the table, when the door opens. "Hi baby. Long night?" The previous topic is dropped on the floor for the moment. Frankly, he looks absolutely exhausted, but holds up a hand as she approaches. "Shit happened in the Dream Realm last night, baby. It's not responding to simple spells, but it's not real bad. I'm talking to the Temple of Dreams to see if they can help." Clearly, it's said to forestall her worry, even as he steps to close the distance with her, full plate and all, leaning up to peck her on the lips if she allows it.

"Auranar brought us both food. Grab a teacup."

Auranar rises to her feet as Andelena enters, her smile quickly fading under the weight of the other woman's concern for the man she so obviously cares deeply for. She offers a faint wave. "I brought enough to feed a small army really." She laughs at herself gently, the sound a little bit off. She's clearly a bit stressed.

Andelena accepts the kiss up the lips, but she growls as she pulls back. "In the Dream Realm? Okay, whose fucking asshole do I gotta jump up and make a nice and neat little home right up there in their shithole? I don't fucking care how fucking... incorporeal they are, I'm gonna fucking make them /wish/ they were fucking incorporeal as in fucking /dead/ by the time I'm done with them."

The rant just falls out of her, and then she looks at Dolan and Auranar for a moment, the anger falling away to sheepishness. "Ah, shit. Sorry. Just exhausted. I was only supposed to work til midnight, but shit got real out of hand where I was working, and..." She rubs her face, with her gauntleted hand. (Oww.) "Fuck it. I'll be happier when I'm not hungry anymore. Thank you for coming over, Auranar, 'enough to feed a small army' is precisely my idea of a good portion size when I'm fucking starving."

"Best I can tell, Kol Demontry's." There's a warning in Dolan's tone. _Cool your jets, Andie._ "He's already dead, and he likes pain, so that's probably not the best idea." A quirk of the lip colors Dolan's affectionate retort. "Get out of that tin can and come eat, baby. I probably scared the shit out of Patches last night. She could use a cuddle. Here. I'll give you a hand. Make yourself comfortable, Auranar, this'll take a few minutes."

Auranar laughs at Andelean's words, and then nods. "I'll be right here next to the sandwiches." She says with another laugh, sitting back down and starting in on her tea. She watches the pair, but eventually focuses on her tea and sandwich so that they can enjoy their time as privately as she can manage.

"Well, I sure fucking hope that Kol Demontry has the best fucking orgasm of his undead existence when I rip my hand through him and it pops out of his mouth like he's a broken sock puppet, because that's exactly what I'm going to do. Let me see that damn wound," Andelena gripes, clearly in no mood to be told to cool off, but she lets him help her out with the armor. It's clear in her face and in her eyes: she is exhausted, and this might be the only form of her usual self she has to give. She's worn this armor for far too long in one go. The spitfire that she normally carries in her is still bright and burning, but that might be all of her that's currently present.

She shakes her head. "Just... Fuck, Bry. When's all this shit gonna die down? Why the fuck'sit gotta be us? Totems, demons, furry-ass flea-bitten motherfuckers--when's it all gonna end? Daeus give me the godsdamned /strength/," she says more quietly, a slight warble in her voice.

Then she looks at Auranar's tea and sandwich. "Or at least breakfast. I'll take breakfast if nothing else. Gods /damn/ I'm hungry. Where's my cat." Yup, exhausted.

For a moment, Dolan goes dead still on his way to her, closing his eye, a habitual gesture at best. Letting out a slow breath is not. "No, Andie. It's fine. You're going to get out of the tin can, sit, and _eat_ before I let you look at a gods-damned thing." He pauses in his disconnecting of the buckles on a pauldron, and moves to pull her into his arms. "Don't you worry about all that, baby. We're getting out of here for a few days. I need to go home and check on Mama and Papa."

Auranar looks between the pair worriedly, but doesn't intervene save to dig out two sandwiches and place them on the table where Andelena would surely sit. She even pours the tea for the other woman. There's little more than that which she can do at the moment. She doesn't want to interfere.

Andie just... folds herself, just a little, into Dolan as he holds her, and she wraps her arms around him, too. A deep breath in followed by a deep breath out, her steel-grey eyes closing. "Okay," she says, quietly, followed by more echoes of the same to placate herself. "Okay. Okay."

She takes in another breath. "It's okay," she says. "Everything is fine. For the moment. You're okay. Auranar's here with a feast. Patches is off doing... cute kitten bullshit. I survived a night of bullshit, too. Everything's fine. Or... it'll be fine."

Finally, her eyes open, and she offers a little smile to Bry. "Sorry," she says. "You know how I get sometimes. Lemme help." She goes to help him out with the rest of the armor.

"Patches is probably under the bed asleep, baby." Dolan has pulled her close, armor and all, and rested his head on her shoulder. "We'll make it through. We're together, right? Come on, let's get you out of the tin can and get some food into you, and then you can look at the world again." He releases her to continue with working on getting her armor off. "Go change. You'll want to get out of the padding, too, if you've been in that all night. It probably itches."

For the moment, he seems to be focused on Andelena. He'll explain later.

Andelena pushes her lips to Dolan's cheek and mumbles, "Yeah, I'll go change, babe. Thank you. Be back in a second."

Once unarmored, she drags herself to the bedroom and emerges a few minutes later with a fresh tunic and drawstring pants, although there's a bundle of calico fur that's in her hands... Who spies Auranar and begins to wiggle for dear life out of Andelena's hands. The Sunguard's too tired to fight her, so she just lets Patches down to the floor and scamper back to the safety of dirty laundry baskets. "Little weirdo was face-deep in your knickers again, Bry," Andelena says with a smirk.

Then she spots the teacup Auranar poured for her as she walks over and says, "Auranar, I'd kiss you, but you're nearly a married woman and I don't know what Bry would think. Take my thanks instead; it's less sloppy and wet." She takes a seat at the table.

While Andelena is changing, Brydion sets aside the armor pieces for later cleaning and returns to his own chair, flopping down and picking up tea and sandwich. "Nah, I'd rather not risk Verna's bad side." He takes another bite out of his sandwich and chews thoughtfully.

The wild elf is grateful of her dark complexion to hide the flush on her cheeks and she shakes her head with a small smile growing on her lips. "Your thanks are more than enough in any case. Andelena..." She trails off a moment and wipes her fingers of the last of her sandwich - she'd been hungry too, though only enough to eat one of them. Then she sets her tea cup aside. "I'd like to offer to take the totems you have off your hands, at least until you come back from your trip with Dolan. I can think of any number of reasons it's a good idea to leave them in safe keeping, but mostly... I don't want you to feel like you are overburdened any more than I want Dolan to feel that way."

Andelena sets into her own sandwich eagerly, her eyes almost rolling back as she is very, very happy to have her first bite to eat in many, many hours. It's a simple sandwich, but even that is enough to placate an exhausted Sunguard. But she's listening to Auranar as she talks.

And then the proposal's made. A brow goes up on Andie's face. "So what you're saying is that you'd like to babysit my little stone men," she says. "I... huh. Not gonna lie, it's a tempting fucking offer, but as much as it'd be nice to have a 'break from the kids', I kind of feel uneasy about the prospect of leaving them out of my grasp."

GAME: Dolan rolls will: (20)+10: 30 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)

Dolan doesn't seem to have much of anything to say, instead polishing off his first sandwich and reaching for the second one he'd left stacked on the table. He glances over at Andelena at her statement, and his lips twitch, but he simply leans back to continue working on second sandwich and tea.

"I can understand that." Auranar nods. "They're your responsibility because they were entrusted to you. But don't forget: I've been entrusted with them too. I'm... I'm here to help you. Help you both." She looks at the pair of them steadily and takes a breath. "Maybe all I can do right now is babysit totems and make sandwiches, but if that's what's needed... I'll do it. If you want."

Andelena shakes her head. "No, nuh-uh, nope," she says, leaning forward in her chair. "Auranar, listen to me--you do so much more than totems and sandwiches. You are /capable/ of so much more than little stone men that drink blood and showing up at friends' houses with food like an angel. Gods' oaths, woman, you prop up everyone with your presence. You are a gift. /You/ are the gift. You do more than enough."

She snaps off more of her sandwich. "I'll keep my totems with me," she says, "but only because I don't want some dog-nosed fuck to decide that your house smells like totem and that it's time to break in."

"What she said," Dolan adds around a bite of sandwich, the sound muffled. He swallows and goes on, "You're stronger than you think and braver than you know. The only thing I need you to do for us is to stop Verna from doing something stupid." He takes a long pull of his tea, sitting back. "We can handle this much. They're better off separate, you're right about that."

Auranar glances downward again, finishing the last of her tea and setting the cup aside. She's embarrassed. Again. That seems to be happening a lot lately. "Thank you. For your concern and your kind words. You're both braver than I am." She smiles softly. "Whatever you say. But anyways."

She looks at Dolan. "I was really worried about you after finding out that you were talking to Kol last night. I'm glad you're okay."

There's that name again. A chill runs through Dolan again at the mention, and he sets down tea and sandwich. "It's probably fairer to say he was talking to me. He talked more freely than I'd expected." He scrubs at his face with his hands. "I - was mostly trying to get out without him killing somebody."

"Bravery comes in all kinds, Auranar," Andelena replies. "There are some people who run into burning buildings and pull people out, but can't find it in themselves to speak the simple truth. Some people are being the bravest they could ever damn well be just by being themselves. Living in this world and trying to get along, trying to make sure their friends are fine. If everyone had an Auranar, the world would be a brighter place for it."

Then her gaze turns to Dolan. /Snap/ goes another bite of the sandwich. "So... Catch me up, because I was busy playing angry babysitter for drunk idiots over and over and over again until I finally got my way home. You /talked/ to that monster? In the dream realm, or...?"

This is Dolan's to explain, particularly given that Auranar hadn't even been there. In truth, even she hasn't heard the full story, and so she settles in to listen.

"No, in Wilderness Pointe. You know how bad the prices for basic supplies are getting, because half the provisioners don't want to do business with the Guild. I decided the trek out to Wilderness Pointe was worth it to resupply us. While I was there, he approached me. I was trying to keep things peaceful, keep 'em civil, and maybe I could learn something in the process."

He leans forward, elbows on knees, stare off into the distance. "He wanted to know what was behind the eye. He's into pain, Andie. Giving it and receiving it. He likes both." A shudder ripples up his spine. "He wants to do the same to me. It doesn't even sound like it's malicious. He called us friends."

A quick shake of his head attempts to clear it. "I turned him down. If I had to guess, he found me in the Dream Realm last night."

Andelena listens... and then squints at a certain part. "I mean, fuck, whatever happens between consenting adults is precisely none of my business, but, you're not consenting and that /thing/ is a monster. Also, pretty damn rude to project your fantasy onto someone else's fiance, but I doubt he gives a shit about that."

She leans forward and puts a hand on Dolan's shoulder. "But. We know he has this weird, fucked up little fascination with you. He thinks you're a friend of his. He's not... immediately trying to kill you like a werewolf might. We could do something with that. If you two weren't already spinning ideas about that, that is."

Auranar holds up her hands. "It's not my idea!" She laughs and motions to Dolan. "It's his, and I think it a dangerous one but... clever. Perhaps exactly what we need... if we can actually pull it off without him getting eaten."

"Yeah. All I've got to do is agree to go with him, Andie." Yet another shudder ripples up his spine. This is hard for him. "He doesn't give a shit about those wolves beyond what they give him. He'll lead us right to them. He's not their friend, just fun. He's not on their side. The problem will be keeping the wolves from killing me when I get there."

"Do you think there's... I dunno, some way to get him to agree to meet up without the wolves? Say you really don't want their fleas on you? Or, better yet, get them to somehow fight each other?" Andelena asks. And then... a smirk crosses her face. "I mean, shit, I knew all along that you're a delicious meal, Bry, but if we make them all realize it and fight each other for it, and you slip away right as one kills the other, then problem solved."

She shrugs a little, looking to Auranar. "Can't possibly be that clean, but a girl can dream," she says. "I'm all for a clever plan just so long as Bry doesn't get eaten. That's /my/ full stack of meat, not theirs."

Auranar chokes on the air and coughs. "In any case, it's a plan. If it's one you intend to go through with Dolan, then just make sure you've got the best backup you can possibly have okay? No need to take more risks than necessary."

Unaccountably, Dolan's also blushing. "I, um, I hadn't made a decision yet," he mutters, hand automatically going to the bandage on his neck.

"Well, we've got time," Andelena placates Dolan, patting him on the shoulder affectionately. "We'll figure this out in a way that ends with you coming back with everything accounted for and that monster deader than dead."

The morning sandwich meal wears on over cups of tea. Eventually, Auranar takes her leave, and the two Daeusites engage in some banter about full stacks of meat before they decide to take the conversation elsewhere--

But not before Patches the kitten trots out of the bedroom with one of Dolan's socks, and she falls asleep curled up with it in a sunny spot that grows with the rising of Daeus's light in the sky. Kol's days (and nights) might soon be numbered.

-End