Crisis: Finding a Fox
Coirann had her own ways of getting into the Castle, even though they took a little longer, and required her to invoke Larissa's name twice. Once she was passed the defences, though, she knew exactly where she was heading - for the kitchens. And she was not disappointed. The kitchens of Castle Amber were certainly not a subdued place, the vast room a riotous affair of voices and clashing pots and cutlery. However, the sounds of mirth and high spirits were less common. Productivity usually outweighed merriment. Not so today. The extensive staff of Amberites and Chaosians was in a fine mood, laughing and joking with one another as they prepared the day's meals. The source of this general amusement, as Coirann undoubtedly suspected, was the creature she sought. Tanstaafl had perched himself atop his 'throne,' also known as the bread oven; his snout raised high with regal majesty. Offerings of pastry and tea sat to his side. Below him, his adoring public was listening intently to the end of some apparently amusing tale. "So, His Lordship of Wank-i-Berries blew into the aforementioned envelop and *POOF*. He gets a face full of Sillun Ash. He spent the next fortnight with a nose the size of a Rebman sea cucumber. This, I might add, actually improved his rather dreary appearance. But more importantly, it prevented him from speaking~E and that, dear ladies, was a blessing indeed. "From that point forward, he has always remained respectful of the kitchen staff." He flicks his tail most virtuously. "Let it not be said that I do not protect the true Princesses of Amber~E You, the finest cooks in all creation!" The ladies laughed and applauded, rewarding him with further sweet rolls and tea. The laughter faded quickly when they detected Coirann. Humbled and nervous, they returned to their work. Tanstaafl was not so easily dissuaded. "Ah! I see we have another beautiful lady joining us. Here to see me undoubtedly. How many I be of assistance to you this fine day, Lady of the Stunning Eyes?" Coirann was gnawing on a purloined hunk of something that had probably been part of an animal at one time. "Hi, Tan. Your services are needed. Come with me and I'll explain on the way." Tanstaafl raised his cyclopean ears in interest. "Moi? Required post-haste? Well, who am I to refuse one of such elegance and good taste?" He bounded down to the floor nimbly and padded over Coirann. He called over his shoulder, "Ladies. You have made this fox a happy man, indeed. I shall return! And Jeanette. You. Me. Heavy petting. Later." The little, if tremendously obnoxious, fox brushed up against Coirann's legs and nodded for her to proceed. "You know, I had a dream about you as I slept on the pastry warmer. We were on a beach in Saloun. Just the two of us. Alone. Enjoying a romantic sunset. Drunk and happy on pineapple liqueur. You had more fur though." "Fuzzier, eh?" Coirann chuckled somewhere down in her throat. "Sorry to disappoint." "Nil perspiration," Tanstaafl said, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "I simply need to find myself a cute shape-shifting pastry chef to fill the empty void that is my heart. And belly. "In the meantime, dreams of you will keep me warm enough." But once they turned the corner and were alone, Tanstaafl became suddenly serious. "So. I take it this isn't a social call, my dear?" "If only," Coirann said. "I'm assuming you have the usual canine hearing," she continued, voice barely a whisper. "Merlin collapsed on the docks this morning after leaving the Queen. He was completely out when they loaded him into the carriage. There's strong reason to suspect it's not drunkenness. Larissa wants to you look in on him so that we can get your opinion, and Tear's when she returns." The fox turned his ears in multiple directions. "I can pick up sixty-eight channels with these things, so yeah, no worries there." His tail flicked with annoyance as he considered Coirann's words. "Well, if you want us to examine him, I guess you suspect sorcery is involved? What happened to him? A collapse of someone like Merlin is rarely unaccompanied by other circumstances." "I don't know," Coirann said, eyes flicking around the corridor. "Morgan wouldn't have let anyone with a dirty thought about Merlin get within 10 feet, so I guess it's got to have been a Power. It didn't smell like sorcery out there, and Her Highness was really out of it when I showed up, like she was doing some Pattern heavy lifting. I missed most of the action because I had to sprint down from the business district." She clearly found that to be disheartening. Tanstaafl snorted, "Don't look so glum. I'm sure if the King's been attacked somehow, you'll have plenty of opportunities to have that pretty nose pushed in." His little legs struggled to keep up with the pace as they made their way through the extensive castle. He paused and then pointed with his tail for them to go down a secluded corridor. "Best keep out of sight as much as possible." Now away from the possibility of interruption, the fox gazed up at his companion. "I'll do what I can. But you really need Tear for the best assessment. She might be a lump, but the girl knows her stuff. Has Larissa heard from her yet? She wasn't supposed to take this long getting back." "She hasn't *said* anything about it. But she tends not to mention things I can't do anything about." Coirann grimaced. "I think this is really bad, Tan." Tanstaafl put his ears back, his tail drooping with worry. "No. It isn't. Larissa usually fawns over me. The fact she's been ignoring my most adorable self speaks volumes. Where is she anyway?" He stopped and sat down. "I'm going to wear my paws out before we get there. Mind picking me up? I promise I won't shed. And we'll get there faster." Coirann scooped him up without slowing. "I left her at the docks when she sent me to find you. Hope she had the sense to take it slow. She was drooping pretty bad. Why else would she send me when she could have made better time herself?" Tanstaafl curled into her side and snuggled in thankfully. "Yeah, gravity can be a @itch when you get older, poor thing," he said sympathetically. He regarded Coirann for a moment, blinking his furry lashes. "Oh. You meant she looked tired. Ignore the idiot with the tail, if you would?" He coughed lightly, "Any-hoo. Did she say she'd be joining us? Or are we on our own Spy-Mistress of Alluring Smiles?" They were by now approaching Merlin's rooms, and saw someone - other than the expected guard - apparently keeping watch outside.
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