The marlfox sprinted up the spiral staircase. In her mouth were an array of many herbs and spices and she kept looking over her shoulder with her gray eyes. A flame hitched on the stone wall's light caught her eyes and they sparkled rainbows. Then they became gray again as she ran out range of the light. She threw open a wooden door as she reached a platform and flew inside it. The door slammed behind her and she leaned her weight against it, opening her mouth and letting the spices and herbs fall to the floor with clinks and whooshes. She panted, her pink tongue rolling out of her narrow muzzle. When she was sure her pursuers had stopped and gave up at banging at the oaken door she landed on all fours and picked up her thefts.

"Thank th' Beloved above. Should stop m' thievin' from th' kitchens," she muttered to herself. The slender silver fox's name was Shayde, since I may as well introduce you to her. She's the Head Brewer for Cyrius, even though she thieves from the Kitchens, for they are too stubborn to give her the herbs she usually has to go out to the forest for her ingredients. Her brother, Mari, is a Shock Soldier who visits her once in awhile. Her father and mother are dead. Yes, dead, passed away, no more. She believes in the Beloved, Saints, Goodmen, And Goodladies. All of them protectors of different things. Here are some of the Beloved: Goodlady Tamarind Protector of the Injured, Goodman Blackwhistle of the Favorable Wind, St. Postrophe Defender of Villages From the Wandering Dead.

Shayde bent down to grab a mellowberry that had wandered off. She grasped the fat golden berry in her paw and set it in a wooden bowl along with the rest of it's friends. Then the fae took a couple of blueberries from a cup and lay down on her bed. She tossed one in the air and caught it in her mouth.

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As she finished up the rest of her blueberries a knock sounded at her door. She flung her legs over the side of her mattress and sat up. "Come in," she barked. The door opened and in stepped the one and only Mari. Shayde stood and gave her brother a tight hug. When she released him she noticed a but above his eye. It was small but deep. She stared at him intently for a short second and turned to a wooden drawer. She opened it and pulled out some gauze tape and a cloth pad. She dipped the pad in a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide and padded back over to Mari, who was saying, "Aw, c'mon sis, it ain' tha' bad. Ye don' haffta get all serious abou' it, it don' even hurt." Shayde snorted in response and patted the cut with the drenched cloth pad. Then she taped a new cloth pad to the cut with the gauze tape to help stop the bleeding. Then she took a washcloth and cleaned off the dry blood on her brother's face.

She took a step back to examine her handiwork and nodded in content. Mari sighed and rolled his eyes, "Thanks Shayde, I guess." Shayde chuckled and offered her brother a bowl of raspberry sweets. "Oi, ye wan' a candy or two?" Mari smiled and took a handful of the sugary, plastic wrapped tastes.

Shayde sat down on her bed and Mari on a stray chair. They began to talk about different thins. What's been going on and such. Then they ran out things to talk about and someone came a knocking at her door again. "Come in," she called.

comments;; rawr. and by the way, if you don't get it, you're supposed to be the one who's knocking.
status;; finished and waiting for a reply
word count;; 644