Home Sweet Home

Magpie Tale 145

Rina curled up in the red chair and surveyed the room. ‘Nondescript,’ would best describe it; the red chair was the lone bit of color there. But the floor was sound, the walls weren’t about to fall over, and since it was raining outside, she knew the roof didn’t leak. Those were the only good things she could come up with about her new lodgings. The little house held a bedroom, a kitchen and the small front room she was in. It certainly wasn’t much, but she needed a place to live during the off-hero season and this shack was the only thing she could afford. As it was, the house had taken out a large chunk of her earnings from adventuring with the Green Crescent Hero Band. The next eight months would require very frugal living. Still she smiled at her beat up walls and bare surroundings. It was all she had.

After the next hero season she would have some more gold and she could start making improvements. A proper bed instead of her adventure’s bedroll was on the top of her list. Although, a table for her kitchen so that she wouldn’t be cooking on the floor, was a close contender. Then she would whitewash the walls and probably the floor as well. The outside of the house could use some whitewash too. And then perhaps some rugs for the floor and some curtains for the windows. Or more likely, a bookshelf and books. Rina sighed contently as she planned. Tomorrow she would clean. She could probably clean for the next eight months. Rina fell asleep in the chair dreaming of what her house would be.

Eight months later when the hero season started and the Green Crescent Hero Band came to collect Rina, they were not as enamored with the year-by-year house improvement plan as Rina was. They promptly developed a plan behind her back.

Throughout the hero season, a few members of the band would slip off on a private quest. Rina knew the band was up to something, but as they were all determined to keep her in the dark, she had very little success in finding out what they were doing. When the hero season ended, the entire band insisted on accompanying her home. Rina had a deep suspicion that she would find her house demolished and would wind up staying with one of the band members for the next eight months. While she wouldn’t mind being with the band, she really liked her house. When she finally saw her house, she couldn’t believe the transformation it had undergone. Instead of being a rundown wreck, it was neat and prim. The inside was immaculate and comfortable. The walls were painted, rugs were on the floor, there was an abundance of furniture, and the band had carved scenes of their exploits on the headboard of the bed. Rina was delighted, and the band was smug.

For more of Rina's adventures check out To the Rescue.