Fens' Wanderings

Dodging around a number of wagons and weaving his way through a number of street trading stalls. " I don’t know what I am doing here, Ayla. Mother has made a big mistake in sending me." He peers down at the trunk of the aged oak tree cradled in his arms, and frowns. As if in response, It’s leaves slightly rustle.   “No, No, I do not doubt my mother’s wisdom.”, Fen grumbles in reply.   “This place is …. just… so different from the swamp. At this moment I’d prefer to deal with a charging alligator, than speak to these people.”   One of Ayla’s sharp brambles pricks Fen’s index finger, causing him to yelp and immediately shift Ayla from his right arm to his left. Glaring at the Oak and nursing his injured digit in his mouth, “What was that for?! No I’m not being stubborn… and yes, I know the others offered their help…”   Fen suddenly realizes that his raised voice has attracted the attention of some of the vendors and citizens around him…   He attempts a casual smile at a vendor glaring at him, “She get’s grumpy when I don’t water her sufficiently….heh… heh… err…You wouldn’t happen to know where I could find a large body of water or park, sir?”   The vendor gives you a wide-eyed nod, “Must be new in town. Ye might’a’find yer kin down at The Grove. Just keep on walking down ‘e street ’bout 4 or so blocks, turn left and keep going. That’s Eilselah Ave, and that leads roight to … hey, hey!” The vendor shouts across the way to another vendor. “Oi, oi Alexan!” Another vendor in a fruit stand turns and starts running over, while the one you had asked starts explaining to you, “Alexan’s girl usually sends an offering down to The Grove each day, she can guide you if you’d like to wait a few…”   Fen tries his best to follow the discussion between the two vendors and stares at them both, obviously very lost.   He jumps startled out of his reverie and snaps a look at Ayla. “No need to yell!”, he turns attention back to the vendors.   “My apologies…. I… Yes, I’m new here. Umm… Alexan, is it? Would you mind if your daughter helped me? I… er…”, digs in his pouch and pulls out an assortment of various coins, " would pay her for the inconvenience".   Alexan holds up a hand. “I can’t take yer money for that. If you want some apples I’ll take yer coin for them, but there’s no nee…Janna!” He interrupts his own conversation to wave someone over. A half-elven tweenager stomps over.   “Papa, I’m just..whoah, um, hello sir.” She gives you a polite curtsey and then goes back to complaining to her dad. " Pap, I’m just leaving, can you make it quick?"   “The quickest. This gentleman needs directions to The Grove. You mind letting him tag along?”   She gives you the once over, and cocks her head to the side a bit at Ayla. “Yes, I can give them directions. Please, if you are ready?”   (Pez: Janna is sensitive to plants, and may get pings from Ayla if desired) (Dr.Infernal: Janna would get a sense of impatience from Ayla, and the typical frustrations that accompanies a parental figure after just finishing scolding a child)   Fen smiles at Janna and glances back to her father, "You are most kind, sir. I … ". Fen reaches out to grab some apples and realizes that both his hands are full. Flustered, he spills the coins from his hand onto the vendors counter, and scoops up some apples.   “For your apples and kindness, sir”, he nods towards Janna to lead the way. “Please, lead the way. We will follow as best we can.”   As Janna leads Fen weave their way through the streets, Fen will occasionally pause to hand out an apple to any children or people in need.   As he hands an apple to a small child, “Ayla and I thank you for your guidance, Janna… We do not wish to be a bother. Do you go to The Grove often?”   “Every day, sir. Pap is insistent that some of what we grow goes to those who gather there, and The Grove…speaks to me. Calms me even.”   She pauses for a moment, as if listening, or sensing something. “Oh, my, you have traveled far from home, I take it?”   Fen nods, “We’ve been sent out to look for aid… our valley will be lost should we not recruit others to help us…” Fen will abruptly stop mid sentence and looks at the tree in his arms, “No… I will not… No, I will not ask that… It’s… That is none of our busine…” He palms his face and seems to relent.   “This is ridiculous…”, the tips of his ears clearly turn a shade of red and droop as he looks at Janna.   “Ayla, wishes to know what their name is… she says… she says you smell of love.”   Janna pauses for a few moments, the sounds of the crowds of people filling in the gap, unsure of how to answer. “I would not speak it out here, they are an old grumpy bunch but I respect them enough not to say it here. And I would not want to make them angry, am I right?” She seems to direct that last bit to Ayla.   She motions down the street, and at the next intersection the road turns right and left only. Straight ahead is a fenced area around, well, if not home, then Junction’s version of what Fen’d recognize as home. The sounds of all sorts of critters buzzing and clicking, the smells of familiar and new plant life.   “I can introduce you to the Grove’s tenders, Hwai should be around today and might know a thing or two about your invaders, or I can introduce her to the Grove. They can be a …. fickle sort of bunch, Junction life isn’t for everyone you know, but they’re all good. Who first?”   Fen casts a sidelong glance at Ayla, “Happy now?”, not bothering to wait for a reply he responds to Janna and shifts Ayla to his other arm so she isn’t between them.   " I apologize for her rudeness…. she can be… stubborn at times. I would very much like to meet the guardian of this Grove? Hwai is their name?"   Janna smiles at Fen, “Then I think our arrival is timely then”, she gestures with a nod towards the gardens entrance.   Standing before the gilded rough iron gates of the main garden entrance is a large female Minotaur… That is staring intensely at Fen.