Taingaard
Dedicated
Land of The Thousand Faces
Roleplay posts: 125
Age: 1100
Registered: Jul 9, 2018 12:06:58 GMT -8
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Post by Taingaard on Aug 1, 2018 22:37:39 GMT -8
The vast forest of Deepwood is ripe with game, herbs, berries and just about everything the heart could desire, but only a true ranger or adventurer ventures deeper into it as the danger of getting lost in the green maze is eminent. Also the deeper you get into the forest, the more likely it is that you encounter some of Taingaard's more 'exotic' creatures, which may be either a blessing or a curse as not all appreciate that you enter their house without knocking.
In the summer Deepwood is green and almost lush, though in the winter there may be periods where Deepwood is completely covered in snow making navigation and travelling even harder as the few and shallow paths will be completely invisible. Also a large amount of the inner forest is unaccounted for and people who have been there speak of valleys, groves and even mountain like hills with treacherous passes and an uneven terrain where even the nimble watch their step.
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Taingaard
Dedicated
Land of The Thousand Faces
Roleplay posts: 125
Age: 1100
Registered: Jul 9, 2018 12:06:58 GMT -8
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Post by Taingaard on Aug 1, 2018 23:01:57 GMT -8
Roxanne FletcherAs summer in Taingaard was reasonably temperate - at least to a point the native would rarely wear any extra fur or clothes - Deepwood stood green and lush with the impressive length and girth of the trees trunks telling a story about and old forest brimming with vitality. So in this part of the year there were little chance of Roxanne getting her face covered in white in this southern part of Taingaard. The outer part of the forest would be reasonably accessible to Roxanne and a good hunter may be able to still be able to find clear digitigrade tracks of canine origin in the mossy undergrowth a couple of days after they were made - the less skillful hunters would see themselves having to proceed further into the forest to look for more clear signs of a small dog with a red collar.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Aug 4, 2018 12:41:02 GMT -8
As a skilled tracker, Roxanne quickly noticed marks from little dog paws in the mud and dirt. It didn't seem particularly large, and she was looking forward to meeting what seemed to be a very cute dog from Brunn's description. Pausing for a moment, she pulled a spool of cord from her bag and cut a length to use as a leash when she caught the creature. Despite the temperate climate, she decided to keep her fur coat, as it was just a little too chilly for her liking. Besides, there was nobody to tease her into taking it off in the woods. She splashed a little bit of the liquor onto her gloves, hoping that the scent would attract little Gilbert, before following the tracks deeper into the forest. Where could the dog have gone?
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Taingaard
Dedicated
Land of The Thousand Faces
Roleplay posts: 125
Age: 1100
Registered: Jul 9, 2018 12:06:58 GMT -8
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Post by Taingaard on Aug 5, 2018 10:44:51 GMT -8
As Roxanne would follow the tracks she would find herself drawn further into the forest. A small chipmunk would jump up and bite her fur coat lodging itself onto it. Was it trying to say, Roxanne was being foolish wearing so thick clothes when it was mid summer in Taingaard, or did it simply try to warn the foreigner that the direction she had chosen was perilous?
However if Roxanne continued to follow the tracks of the dog she would soon come across what - by all means - appeared to be the red collar of Gilbert, Brunn's run away dog. It had clearly been cut and the tracks leading on would look curious to any ranger or hunter. One set of hoofed tracks and one set of bare feet - but no paws were leading on into what seemed to be a more dense part of the forest where the trees were decidedly more wry and the leaves a shade or two darker.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Aug 5, 2018 21:07:20 GMT -8
As the chipmunk jumped on her and latched on to her sleeve, Roxanne shook her arm violently to try and remove it. However, the little rodent remained stuck, so she grabbed it firmly but gently and pulled it from her sleeve. Holding the oddly cute creature up to eye level, she looked at its chubby little face and wondered what it thought it was doing, trying to eat her coat. She quite liked this jacket, and didn't want it to be chewed full of holes. Placing the chipmunk down underneath a bush, she continued on her way.
As she continued along down the tracks, she found the red collar lying on the ground. She frowned, picking it up and inspecting it in the light. It certainly looked like the collar that Brunn had described, and appeared to have been cut through by a knife. Looking on the ground, she spotted the odd tracks. What could have happened here? If she had to guess, it looked as though poor Gilbert had been kidnapped by someone with a horse...although whoever had done it had to be mad, to be barefoot in this weather. This job just got a whole lot more interesting, and she rested her hand on the hilt of her sword as she began to follow the tracks more stealthily, wondering what sort of dognapper she'd find at the end.
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Taingaard
Dedicated
Land of The Thousand Faces
Roleplay posts: 125
Age: 1100
Registered: Jul 9, 2018 12:06:58 GMT -8
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Post by Taingaard on Aug 6, 2018 11:24:20 GMT -8
The trunks of the trees seemed to all curl down this path and thorns would catch hold of any garment that came into immediate contact with them as the path narrowed and the trees seemed to close in on her from above. Before long she would notice oddly shaped bones lying around on the forest floor and some even hanging from atop of the trees. Some would be very small and some larger than the bones in the human body - but all weirdly shaped and deformed as when you look at some part of them through a magnifying glass.
Still the tracks led further into the woods and if she was especially aware Roxanne would likely find it odd that none of the hoofed tracks ever overlapped and seemed to keep a steady pace with the barefoot tracks beside it. If following the tracks further Roxanne would soon come to understand this mystery a little better. A small grove opened up and a run down wooden cottage was in the center of the grove with a large pot with boiling contents stood in the garden as in old lady standing on a stool on what seemed like hoofed feet while it's contents with a large stick mumbling strange cackling words. A little further behind her Roxanne would notice what seemed like an improvised wooden cage though while it was placed in the shadow of the cottage, she wouldn't be able to see more clearly if anything was inside it.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Aug 12, 2018 16:18:02 GMT -8
Roxanne pulled her coat more tightly around her body as every thorn in the forest seemed to reach down and snatch at her clothing, catching and tugging with every movement. It was inconvenient to be sure, but she kept the coat on regardless. Getting snagged was slowing her down a bit, but it was certainly better than being cold. However, the further she got into the forest, the more uneasy she became. A few bones in a forest were nothing to be concerned about, but the sheer number worried her. The fact that they seemed to be twisted and distorted was even more disconcerting. As she crept through the trees and spotted the cottage, she was forced to put a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. A witch! She didn't know much about the witches all the way up here, but they were almost always trouble. Did she capture Gilbert? What if he was in the stew? Holding her breath, she snuck carefully around the side to try and get a better look at the cage, watching her step to avoid treading on anything noisy.
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Taingaard
Dedicated
Land of The Thousand Faces
Roleplay posts: 125
Age: 1100
Registered: Jul 9, 2018 12:06:58 GMT -8
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Post by Taingaard on Aug 13, 2018 12:45:24 GMT -8
The old lady seemed preoccupied with her boiling soup for now, cackling intensely each time a large green bubble would appear and burst, which meant Roxanne was able to circle around the edge of forest to the cage seemingly without alarming the old lady. If Roxanne approached the cage a little closer she would see a shadow inside it, though it was definitely not a dog. Curled up in the far end of the corner sat a scrawly young man who appeared to wear little in terms of clothes giving Roxanne a gaze that told of both terror and surprise.
"Y-you're not her..?" he whispered thinking there were several differences including hair color and the fact she was wearing fur - something unheard of in Taingaard in the summer - but that was not the man's primary thought right now. "P-please help me out!" he said and and crawled closer to Roxanne grabbing onto the iron bars in desperation.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Aug 17, 2018 17:26:59 GMT -8
Roxanne let out a gasp of shock as she spotted the scrawny boy in the cage. What was he doing here? Clearly, he'd been confined by that witch...or perhaps something else was going on? What if he was a criminal, and the witch was just a harmless old lady...but that was obviously very unlikely. Glancing back towards the front of the cottage to make sure she wasn't seen by the witch, she snuck quietly towards the boy, holding a finger to her lips. As she got close, she looked closely at the latch on the cage, looking for the lock or any particularly weak-looking points.
"Shh, shh! She'll hear! Who are you, and who's she? How'd you get stuck in the cage? Do you know where the key is? I don't know how to pick locks, so I'll have to find that...also, have you seen a little white dog with a long nose around here?"
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Taingaard
Dedicated
Land of The Thousand Faces
Roleplay posts: 125
Age: 1100
Registered: Jul 9, 2018 12:06:58 GMT -8
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Post by Taingaard on Aug 17, 2018 23:13:38 GMT -8
The young man hushed as per Roxanne's instructions and gave a quick glance toward the old lady who were still stirring the pot. "Sh-she's the mistress of the forest..." the young man said with a guilty frown. "And I'm Gilbert... I'm guessing Brunn sent you to look for his dog." the young man concluded and sighed.
"The key yes... I don't know if she keeps it in her pocket or inside the house, but you must help me!" he pleaded.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Aug 19, 2018 21:52:51 GMT -8
The boy's confession that he was the dog caused Roxanne to pause, shocked. She stared at him for a moment, squinting at his scrawny features as she processed what he'd just said. Had she heard him correctly?
"Y-you're Gilbert? You don't look much like a little white sniffer dog to me. Did she turn you into a person or something? Or did you somehow get turned into a dog before? What's going on here?"
She glanced back at the witch nervously, crouching down beside the cage. What was she to do? She definitely couldn't leave the poor boy here, but what then? If she didn't bring him back, Brunn would likely be upset...and she didn't think she wanted to disappoint such a big man. She'd have to satisfy his request somehow...but would he really want this boy in the place of his dog? And wouldn't it be wrong to bring a person back to him? So many questions, so many moral conundrums...but those could wait. For now, she had a key to steal.
"So this Mistress of the Forest...is there anything I should know about her before I hit her on the head and steal the key?"
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Taingaard
Dedicated
Land of The Thousand Faces
Roleplay posts: 125
Age: 1100
Registered: Jul 9, 2018 12:06:58 GMT -8
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Post by Taingaard on Aug 19, 2018 22:34:05 GMT -8
Gilbert looked at Roxanne and bit his lip. "I'm a shape shifter and it was a stupid bar bet I lost. I had to wear a collar while I turned into a dog and bark a tune while... well the details don't matter. But as things happened it seemed like the collar was enchanted so I couldn't change back. He then threatened me and said he was going to neuter me if I didn't comply - and then the day after he sold me to Brunn." Gilbert explained with guilty eyes. "I had heard of a lady in the forest who could talk to dogs and people called her the Mistress of The Forest, so I went here when I had the chance to run but... even though she understood and removed my collar I was imprisoned in here - and I don't know what she's going to do to me!" Gilbert said as he suddenly saw that the woman had turned around from her pot and seemed to be heading there.
"Giiilbeeert..! Giiiiilbeeeeert....!" she called out as the hoofed old lady slowly made her way towards the cage, careful not to trip over any uplifted roots or lumps in the ground. "It's time for your baaaath!" she said and cackled, apparently not aware of Roxanne yet.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Aug 19, 2018 22:45:08 GMT -8
"A shapeshifter? Why don't you just turn into something small enough to get out of the cage and-"
Roxanne stopped, glancing back at the witch as she approached. The mistress of the forest certainly didn't seem like a particularly kind old lady, so she snuck back into the shadows to try and stay out of sight. Who knew what the witch would do? If she wasn't careful, she might end up in the witch's stew right next to Gilbert. As pleasant as a warm bath would be, she certainly didn't want it to end with being eaten by a witch, and so she remained in hiding. She held her breath, waiting for the old woman to unlock the cage.
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Taingaard
Dedicated
Land of The Thousand Faces
Roleplay posts: 125
Age: 1100
Registered: Jul 9, 2018 12:06:58 GMT -8
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Post by Taingaard on Aug 21, 2018 5:17:51 GMT -8
"I-I can only turn into that dog, and I'm too exhausted from being in animal form for so long that... I simply can't..!" Gilbert said reluctantly. "N-no wait come back miss!" Gilbert called out as muted as possible as Roxanne withdrew into the shadows.
"Where are you looooking!" the old lady said as she bared her teeth at Gilbert who gasped. The witch went down into her pockets picking up an old iron key with her wry fingers and unlocked the cage door which opened with a loud creaky sound. "Come on, let's get you to the pot, Gilbert!" she said and pointed her finger at him. Suddenly Gilbert's eyes went dim and his body relaxed as he stepped out of the cage.
"Yes m'am." he said and quitely followed the witch to the big black pot.
"Good, your manners improved significantly. Now I need you to go up into the pot and sit there for a while, Gilbert." she said and cackled giving him a light smack on the buttocks with her wooden ladle.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Aug 23, 2018 11:22:49 GMT -8
Roxanne hid quietly in the shadows, hoping that the witch wouldn't spot her. She waited, holding her breath as the witch opened the lock and let Gilbert loose. As the old crone cast her spell on Gilbert, Roxanne frowned. That seemed to have been worryingly fast...had she cast a spell earlier that she was just activating, or was she just that quick? Roxanne wasn't sure, but she certainly didn't want to find out. However, she didn't have the luxury of time. As she watched, Gilbert began to slowly step towards the boiling, bubbling pot. If she didn't act now, he'd be turned into a stew! Taking a deep breath, Roxanne drew her hunting knife and burst from the shadows, lunging towards the frail old woman in an effort to tackle her to the ground.
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Taingaard
Dedicated
Land of The Thousand Faces
Roleplay posts: 125
Age: 1100
Registered: Jul 9, 2018 12:06:58 GMT -8
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Post by Taingaard on Aug 24, 2018 10:07:03 GMT -8
"Yes, yes go on dear! Soon you'll be shedding that form of yours and is ready to..." she said as she suddenly heard the fast footsteps behind her and turned around and quickly raising her finger towards Roxanne with an angry yet frightened look to her face. However Roxanne's tackle came before she could properly aim her spell and she fell to the ground with a scream. As she noticed Roxanne's knife she seemed to struggle twice as hard believing her life to be in immediate danger hissing and kicking, trying to seize control of Roxanne's knife hand with all her might.
Perhaps Roxanne would notice or perhaps not, but as the witch turned towards Roxanne her control over Gilbert seemed to have seized and he stood a moment and looked around before realizing what had happened.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Aug 30, 2018 18:36:58 GMT -8
As the frail old witch wrestled for control of the knife, Roxanne pulled her left hand free. She'd never liked witches much. They always caused trouble, kidnapping children and little dogs. What did they even take them for, anyway? Stew? Slaves? Roxannne wasn't sure, but she'd always heard stories about witches in the woods. Clearly, they held some merit. Even the witches that didn't live in the woods could cause trouble, as she'd seen with her poor cousin Roy. The unfortunate boy was infatuated with a young witch, clearly having fallen victim to some horrible spell. Raising her fist, she resolved to not allow this particular witch to kidnap anyone else as she brought it down towards the crone's wrinkled face with all her might. With all her attention devoted to rearranging the witch's face, she didn't notice Gilbert snapping out of his stupor.
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Taingaard
Dedicated
Land of The Thousand Faces
Roleplay posts: 125
Age: 1100
Registered: Jul 9, 2018 12:06:58 GMT -8
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Post by Taingaard on Aug 31, 2018 12:00:03 GMT -8
The witch waved her hands frantically, but as things stood the old lady were... an old lady. As Roxanne punched and used the leverage of being able to put all her weight into the punch she'd hear the bones fracture in the witch's skull - blood gushing out her nose and the cackling turning into a hissing scream. However the pain from the punched seemed to strengthen the witch's resolve to survive causing her continuing struggle.
As Gilbert saw the witch being tackled by the warrior lady, he seized whatever he could see close by that might serve as a weapon - a quite heavy stone lay at his feet and he lifted it with both hands. After the first struck from Roxanne hit the witch Gilbert thrashed the stone down into the ugly witch's face making it even uglier than it had been from the start - and if not stopped he would continue until her head was little more than a bloody pulp and he was sure she didn't move an inch. Gilbert would then look at Roxanne - sweat dripping from his forehead and adrenaline pumping in his veins with blood splattered all over the front side of his naked body.
"L-let's not talk about this okay?" he would stutter quite shocked at his sudden and ruthless execution of the witch.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Sept 2, 2018 13:34:11 GMT -8
Roxanne grinned in satisfaction as her fist connected solidly with the witch's face. The thrill of the fight was upon her, and she wrenched the knife away from the old crone's grasping hands to throw it to the side. She wouldn't be needing that, all she needed were her own two hands-
All of a sudden, a heavy stone came out of nowhere and smashed down into the witch's face. Roxanne gasped, leaning back in shock as she watched Gilbert raise the stone for another strike, and then another. She got up, stepping back slowly as the young man bashed the witch's head in with the rock. It was a rather anticlimactic end to the fight, not to mention a little disturbing. Shuffling over to where she'd tossed the knife, she picked it up and slipped it back into the sheath on her thigh. When Gilbert finally stopped, she stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly.
"Um...yeah, sure. That sounds good. Come on, let's get you back to town...and find you some clothes, too. Gosh, aren't you cold?"
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Taingaard
Dedicated
Land of The Thousand Faces
Roleplay posts: 125
Age: 1100
Registered: Jul 9, 2018 12:06:58 GMT -8
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Post by Taingaard on Sept 2, 2018 21:45:20 GMT -8
Gilbert would still be panting from the sudden burst of murderous activity as he finally dropped the heavy stone that landed on the ground with a heavy 'thud'. He nodded and acknowledged it was probably best to leave this place whenever possible. "Well it's summer so it isn't that cold." Gilbert explained though his eyes did fall upon Roxanne's fur lined coat. "I could use something to wrap around me though." he reckoned as his gaze lingered at Roxanne's coat with begging eyes.
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