Here we are, back in Crimbo Village with Father Crimbo.

There's an interlude here that is a good read, as well. Check it out, won't you?

 
That night we sit around a table in the Great Hall of Father Crimbo's castle.  A sumptuous feast is spread before us.  We are in the middle of the revelry when Tickle starts to tickle us one by one.  He grabs me just as I reach for some wine and I spill it on the tablecloth.  Father Crimbo looks up and smiles at me.

"Don't worry about it, Sassy.  The elves in the laundry will sort it out.  Now, Tickle, you settle down and let these people eat!  You have to keep an eye on them all all the time."  He takes another roll and turns to me, "My lads tell me you are looking for a rogue elf.  Is that right?"

"Yes," I say, "Bad Luck here was poisoned by him."

Father Crimbo looks up in alarm. His smile is replaced by a frown. "Poison, eh? Never thought he would do that. Not really his style. Well, it wasn't before."

"Who, sir?"

"Well," sighs Father Crimbo. "We had an elf around here a while ago. His name was Jack and he loved to play practical jokes. Are you familiar with the children's toy the Jack-in-the-box?"

"Linger had one of dose," Linger says.

"I know. I brought you one when you were no taller than this."  He holds his hand up to his stomach.  "Of course, it was the giant model, but it was still the same."

"Me loved dat toy."

"Well," says Father Crimbo, "at any rate, it was named after that mischief-maker Jack.  He used to creep up on you and play all kinds of tricks.  They were annoying, but I didn't think he would stoop to harming anyone."

"Where is this Jack now?"  I ask.

"Not here any more.  Had to let him go.  His pranks were getting progressively more silly and dangerous.  But poison?"

"Do you know where he has gone then?"

"No."  He shakes his head sadly as he puts some cheese on his roll. "Might have more trouble finding him than finding the Oriole.  I had heard rumors that he had gone to Uncle Crimbo's village but they might have been rumors."

"Where is Uncle Crimbo's village?"

"In the mountains somewhere," he says and scratches his head.  "Wish I could help you more."

"You have helped us quite a lot as it is.  Thanks for the great food."

Lyre says, "I don't think I have seen Jack recently.  I don't think he was in Degrassi.  I know for sure he didn't have a lot of those packets of powder he was giving away to travelers."

I shake my head.  "That's not so good, Lyre.  Are you sure of that?"

"I am not sure of anything.  I am definitely not sure about this.  I didn't see it at all, not with my own eyes."

 
Meanwhile, in a cantina in Degrassi

 
I sit across from the man in the black cloak and the black hood.  He takes me in from my black hair on down; this makes me uncomfortable.

"Archer, is that you?"

"It's me," I say. "So what is new, Jack?"

"Well."  He chuckles menacingly. "I have carried out my orders from you and from Mistress.  Was up on those blasted mountains giving out powder to travelers so long, I had to get away.  They sell good wine here, don't they?"

I takes a deep drink from my glass, barely tasting it as I do.  "So, did you see Sassy Snake up there?"

"Lots of snakes up there, archer," he says with a shudder and shiver.  "Loads of 'em.  More poison than you can pack in dem packets."  He chuckles and drinks more wine.

"I am not talking about a snake.  It is a woman.  She has red hair, green eyes and is traveling with a troll."

"Oh," he says, "Sure I seen her.  T'was her who helped that clunk of a mountaineer I poisoned.  Pretty little thing, ain't she?"

"Not that I have noticed.  Did you slip any powder into her supplies?"

"Couldn't get close enough, could I?  You gives me the instructions to stays out of sight, exceptin' to give them Father Crimbo's gift." Here he chuckles and laughs till he almost falls to the floor.

"Well,"  I say, "maybe you best go back and try to find her then. Don't come back until you have made sure she is poisoned!"

"Hey, Mistress didn't order me to do that!"

"I," I say, levelling a dagger at him under the table, "am telling you to do that."

"Yeh, sure t'ing.  Soon as I gets some more of this excellent wine. Needs to warm up from being on the mountain.  T'is cold up there, you know."

So I flip the dagger up into the air. Naturally, it comes down just inches from Jack's fingers.

"Hey!  Watch that!  What's the big idea?"

"The big idea is that I want you to do what I have asked you to do. Go up into those mountains, find Sassy Snake and poison her."  I retrieve the dagger and wave it under Jack's nose.

"How about it, Jack?  Would you like to go do as I ask, or would you rather lose a nose?"

Jack grumbles.  "Just going.  Wine wasn't all that great anyway."  He gets up, turns to the waiter and says, "The lady here will pay for it."  As he heads out the door, he mumbles beneath his breath, "She'll pay for it one way or another."

I watch him leave and a big smile comes over my lips.  I can't help wondering just how powerful Sassy will be once she has been poisoned. "I told you once, watch your back Sassy.  This time, I'll leave nothing to chance."

I pay for the drinks and then leave and I follow Jack toward the mountains.  If he can't do it, I'll take care of it myself.  I pat my longbow and then my knives and daggers.

"Ready or not, Sassy Snake!  Here I come!"

 
Back on the mountains, at Camp Father Crimbo

 
After we have dined with Father Crimbo, we gather together for a planning session.

"I think, Sassy, that you ought to keep following the oriole."

"But what about the rogue elf poisoning people on the mountains, sir?"

"Well," he ponders, "we may be better able to handle that sort of thing than you.  After all, many of my mates remember Jack and won't have any problems recognizing him.  Besides, my elves might be able to infiltrate Uncle Crimbo's village should that be required.  In the meantime, don't eat or drink anything unless you know where it came from."

"Sounds like good advice to me.  How will I find my way back to my camp or find the first lead to the oriole?"

"Well," he says with a slight smile. "Naturally, you will have to be guided.  The best mountain guides are here with us; Tickle and Lyre."

I think to myself that this is only going to make the job harder, but I don't register anything.

"Tickle," I say in a quiet way. "Would you be willing to lead us on the mountains?"

Tickle leaps into action, swooping down on me to tickle me fiercely. He cackles with glee.

"I would be glad to tickle you, oops I mean lead you, anywhere."

"Well," I say, "That leaves Lyre then.  How about it, Lyre, want to lead us again?"

"No, of course not!  Never!  I don't even like you.  I won't lead you and don't you dare to follow me."

"Okay," says Father Crimbo, "Sassy, you now have two good guidess. Will the others go as well?"

"Linger goes where Sassy goes," he says.  Then all eyes turn to Bad Luck.  You can tell, he doesn't like it much.

He slowly shakes his head.  "No, I am sorry, Sassy.  I don't feel up to a long mountain hike.  If Father Crimbo doesn't mind, I would like to stay and rest here before I go on my way."

"Why, of course, my boy,"  chuckles Father Crimbo.  "Lots of things you could help us with here.  Did you say your name was Bad Luck?"

"Yes sir.  Bad Luck Blorf."

"You know," I say, "I have been thinking about that.  If we continue to call you that, it invites bad luck to stay with you."

"But Sassy, bad luck has been my constant companion ever since I can remember."

"Maybe so," I say.  "But I think if I were you, I would prefer a name like Lucky.  That way it could be either good or bad luck."

"Hmm, Lucky?  Lucky, yes I like that!  You can all call me Lucky from now on."

"Well," says Father Crimbo, "I am glad that this is finally settled. Welcome to our little village Lucky."

"Thanks, sir."

"I suppose," says Father Crimbo, "you will head out out early in the morning.  We'll send you away with a hearty breakfast and our blessings.  You are all welcome to return any time you need or feel like it."

After breakfast, we head out of the lovely valley with the beautiful village, cross the ford in the brook, and head down the mountain.  I am not sure where we are nor where we are going.

"Lyre, where are we headed?"

"I am not taking you to where I didn't find the feather.  That's not where you want to go."

"Yes," I say. "That is where we don't want to go."

We hike for a bit with Linger and I doing our best to keep up with them.  These elves are small, but obviously at home in these mountains.  They seem to be packed with energy and they seem to recharge themselves rather quickly.  Finally we come to a spot near some bushes.

"This is not it!  This is absolutely not the place where I didn't find the feather that isn't mine."

I poke around in the bushes and find a few feathers.  I wear one in my hair and pass the other one to Linger who does the same.

I explore around here a bit and finally find, off the path, a strange rock formation.  It resembles a giant O.  It looks like the hole in the O is a dark tunnel that appears to lead far into the mountains.

I signal to the others and they check it out.

Linger shudders.  "Can't go dere, Sassy.  Don't like dis place much. Can't go there, I am too big.  But you is t'inking about going in dere, isn't you?"

"Yes," I say. "I was thinking very hard about it.  Don't like leaving you here, Linger."

Tickle looks into the cave and he says, "Wonder what could be in there that I could tickle."  He starts to giggle just thinking about it.

"Lyre, have you ever seen this before?"

"Of course I have.  Seen it loads of times.  Knows what it is too."

"Well?" I ask him.

"Well what?" asks Tickle.  "Is it a well?  How do you know it is a well?  Do you mean that it was sick before and now is well?"  He laughs and howls at his joke.

"I thought Lyre could tell us more."

"He won't, though.  Remember he 'lyes.'  He says he has seen it before, which means . . ."

"That he hasn't.  I forgot.  So, what do we do then?"

We all stand staring at the O and wondering what it is.  I put on a pair of gloves and gingerly touch it with my hands.  Nothing weird or out of the ordinary seems to happen.

"What is this thing anyway?" I ask, mostly to myself.

"Linger not know.  Don't like it though."

"I know what it is," pipes up Lyre.

"Do you really, Lyre?"

"OO' course, I does.  It's obvious, isn't it?"

"Not to me, it isn't.  So, what is it?"

"It's a huge oriole's egg that hatched.  The byrde come out of dat hole and fly away."

I shake my head sadly.  "Don't think I believe that."

"Good for you, young Lassie," rumbles a deep voice behind me.  "T'is nae'thing of the sort.  I magicked it, so I should know."

"You what?  Who are you, sir?"

"Wal, now," says the burly stranger.  "An' who would ye be then?"

"I am Sassy Snake, and this is Linger the troll and Tickle and Lyre the elves.  And yourself?"

"They call me Rodrigo the wizard.  Course, we gives up our real names when we turns to magic.  Not a full wizard, but wurking on it."  He looks at me curiously.  "Ain't I seen you before?"

"I was just thinking the same.  The name doesn't sound familiar and I don't remember meeting you."

Rodrigo leans on his staff and then he flourishes it and twirls it absentmindedly.

"Your staff!  I remember that!  You were the wizard I saved one night from some slavers."

"Surely," he says as he remembers, "I does remember now.  So, what arr you doing around the O, then?  Admiring me handiwurk?"

"It is quite a lot to admire.  What exactly is it and what does it do?"

"Wal," he says, "'tis mine, it is.  Was told to make it by an oriole. A birrrd if ye ken believe it."

"The oriole?"

"Aye, lassie.  'twas just that way.  Was wanderin' around these mountains and I heard it talk to me.  I followed it to this place where it told me to build this O to point the people who might be lookin' for it in the right direction.  Ye be the first to find it."

"So, this is a clue then?"

"Aye, I suppose so."  He scratches his chin.  "To be honest wid ye, I ha'e no idea of what 'tis nor what it is fer; I cannae help ye."

"Well, what should we do with it?"

"Do wid it?" he rumbles.  "I dinna ken.  Dinna know what to do wid it meself."

Suddenly there is a noise in the bushes and a sound of evil chuckling is heard.  We all turn to gaze into that direction, but all we see is a movement in the brush.  Lyre and Tickle take off after it.

"No," i say. "You guys come back!  Whatever it is, it is probably gone now anyway.  We shouldn't get separated like this."

"Does Sassy want me to go after them?" asks Linger.

"No," I say. "We had best stay here in case they come back. Wonder what that was anyway."  I turn to talk to the wizard when a long arrow comes out of the bushes.  It barely misses my hand as I stand with my hand still on the O.

Someone in the bushes is laughing now.  I glance at the arrow; a long arrow with black feathers.  I had last seen such arrows in a quiver worn by Rayvon.

"Rayvon!  Are you out there?"  At first, there is no answer.  "Rayvon?  I know you are out there.  What are you afraid of?"

From the bushes, someone says, "Not you, you sissy!"

"So, it was you who shot at me."

"Of course, it was and I am not through yet."  As if to prove this, she fires another arrow that glances off the rocks almost hitting my leg.

"What do you want now?" I ask.  "What is with the archery display?"

I hear some more movement in the bushes, but my question goes unanswered.

I pick up both arrows and look more closely at them.

"Ah, Sassy lassie, looks lik' ye ha'e an enemy out there.  Wal, as long as me magick holds, we should be safe near the O."

"After having a couple of arrows shot at me, you will forgive me if I call this place unsafe."

"Aye, lassie, any place hereaboots is unsafe.  Ye do ken there be trolls on these mountains.  I mean beside your friend here."

"Trolls?"

"Seen 'em, I ha'e.  No fun in gae'ing up again one of them.  Cruel and merciless, they be."

"See," says Linger, "What did I toll you?  My fambly be up here.  Let's get off these mountains," Linger says with a shiver.

"Starting to think you have a point, but how can we leave without looking to find out what the Oriole wanted us to know."

"Linger no care 'bout dat byrd.  Ain't we done enough?  We found Father Crimbo's village, we find the O and some feathers.  Maybe we should leave it alone, Sassy."

"You really want to leave then, Linger?"

"Not want to, but it might be smart what with that Rayvon being out there ready to kill us with arrows.  Trolls on the mountain ready to kill us.  Some rogue elf on the mountains trying to poison people. Maybe it safer in other places."

"Well," I say to Linger, "all you say is certainly true.  Yes, it does scare me as much as it does you.  I don't like being a human target for Rayvon's arrows.  But how can we just leave?"

"We go down the mountains and head for home," Linger says with a hint of a smile.

"Yes," I say, "I know that; but could you really just leave now? Don't you think we are getting closer to finding the oriole?"

"Aye lassie," rumbles Rodrigo.  "Ye air closer than most have gotten."

"Rodrigo, do you know where the oriole has gone?"

"Nay lassie.  Ha'e nae idea where he might be."

Suddenly there is a rustling in the nearby brush and my hand flashes for my crossbow, but it is only Lyre and Tickle coming back.

"Well," I say with just a hint of exasperation in my voice.  "Where have you two been then?"

Tickle grins at me and says, "Out there.  Trying to catch him, but he is even faster than I remember him."

"Catch who?"

"Why, Jack of course."

"He's here too then.  Did you catch him?"

"Catch him?  Of course we caught him.  I have him here right in my pocket," Lyre says.  I shake my head again.

"Hey," says Tickle, "those are nice arrows you is holding dere, Sassy."

"Oh, these," I say. "Almost forgot about them."

"Linger not forget them.  Linger not forget that girl is out there waiting to take shots at us."

"What?" asks Tickle.  "What girl?  What has been going on here anyway?"

"A girl who wants to be my enemy tried to shoot arrows at me.  That's about it.  Not much else happening here."

"We tried to run Jack down, but all we did was make him drop some packets of powder," Tickle says.  "See?"

"Sure, I see them."

"You want them?" he says and a mischievous grin erupts on his face.

"Yes, I would like to make sure noone gets them by mistake."

"Well, come and get them.  If you can catch me."  So saying, Tickle runs off a few yards, beckons for me to follow, then runs back, waves the packets under my nose and speeds away again.

"Tickle, this is not funny."  All I hear is his giggling and cackling as he continues to tease me.

"Lassie," says Rodrigo, "Ye sure be keepin' company with some rather odd critters."

"You can say that again.  Come back here, Tickle.  I don't want to play."  Finally, he does come back but he is still happy and giggly.

"Let's all find a safer spot to camp for tonight.  We'll figure out what we want to do in the morning.  With all of the dangers up here, we had best take it in turns to keep watch."

Rereading this, I once again notice that the only two elves in the group to get any attention are Lyer and Tickle. Well, that's going to continue in Sassy's roleplays, actually.

The voter commnts that Sassy's NPC's, especially this mission, are "unique in very interesting ways," which obviously helped the quality of the piece a lot. (I'll get back to that comment the next time we see Sassy, in fact.) The last time was saw Rodrigo the mage was way back when he was still an unnamed NPC. In fact, this was the very roleplay that introduced Icy and Rayvon! (Well, back then it was spelled Ravyn.)

Quite a bit happened in this piece. Next up, we're back to Mary and Wildfall - cause it's time for Wildfall to meet Mary's ol' dad!