[Mkguild] Long Distance Part 1

[Stealth]

The third story in the Full Suit Cycle. This was the original title of Full
Suit and started as a scene in it. Its in many parts, more then is probably
necessary but its to avoids the size limit too.

Long Distance

Copyright (c) 2008 Michael Nastov





*            To Sir Misha Brightleaf*

* *

*            Greetings sir, my name is Walric Yeun. I am a watchmaker of the
hamlet of Terreth. Word has spread of your fine craftsmanship and I need
parts for a clock that I believe you can deliver. I have included the
necessary specifications for the parts I need with this letter.*

* *

*             I do hope this reaches you in time because there is a small
burden in that I need these special gears by tonight. Our small town is
hosting a fair this night, a very important occasion for us as it is a
rarity and also eases the dreary winter to come. Thus I am prepared to pay
you a bonus if they arrive with all due haste before the day is out.*

* *

*            Regards, Walric Yeun, master craftsman of Terreth.*



--------------------------



            The cheetah walked about cautiously. His bare feet didn't make a
sound on the thick green rug. He didn't know why but he'd found his way
inside Long House. Stealth felt anxious at his presence within the grand
hall; he didn't have a reason to be there and he didn't want to get in
trouble for being so. When he realised he walked within the Keep's fallback
point he turned around the same way he entered but halted in his steps after
a call from behind.



            "Stealthy!"



            The feline turned around again, "Misha? I opened my door this
morning and..."



            The fox laughed as he approached, "Relax!" He pat the cat's
shoulders with both hands, "...how are you feeling?" He asked with genuine
concern.



            The cheetah looked ready to pounce, "All better! And my full
suit has been fixed I hear."



            "Slow down." He ordered, "Have you healed since that little run?
I can sniff out a liar." The Long warned.



            Stealth narrowed his gaze at the fox, "I'm ready to run again,
besides, Jotham said I get better quicker if I move about and I've been
doing that all week!"



            "Hmmm." Misha pondered.



            "Trust me! I'm fine." Stealth insisted.



            "Okay! I have a job for you. A big job so follow me." He walked
past the cat and headed in the direction he'd been heading. "Or should I say
a Long job."



            The cat followed after the fox. They walked down a corridor that
led off Long Hall, it seemed to be quite long, perhaps it didn't have an
ending. Misha entered a door opposite the one that led to Stealth's
apartment. Now that he thought about it the place where his room spawned
looked to be the same place where it had when the foxtaur and Jotham helped
him to bed a week or so ago.



            Misha waited inside the door until the timid feline entered.
Stealth looked around the room. He saw a table in the centre, to the left of
it a hearth roared and to the right there was a bed. The room looked the
same size as his apartment. Actually it looked a little bigger.



            "Is this your room?" Stealth asked as he gazed about.



            "That's right! I've been in your apartment, now you can see
mine." He walked over to another door in the corner, "In here."



            Stealth followed the fox into the next room. This one had no
windows and it was smaller. It looked like some sort of workshop and there
were little scale models of ballista and trebuchets on shelves above a
workbench. The workshop even had a small forge, it sat there cold and dark.



            On the workbench lay a cloth with very small metal objects
arranged carefully on it. Next to them larger objects that appeared to be
some sort of gears sat on the cloth. "A bird arrived from Terreth, a
watchmaker needs parts for tonight and we can do well for ourselves if they
arrive there fast."



            Stealth watched the Long roll up the cloth which he wrapped in
another cloth, "Did you make those?"



            "Yup! I've always had a thing for mechanics." He explained and
carried the bundle out of the room. "It's mostly just a hobby of mine though
I need to make parts when I fix Madog."



            Madog. Stealth knew of the metal fox but besides a brief glance
he'd never met the automation. The feline headed back out into the fox's
main room. There he went over to the large table in the centre where Misha
wrapped the cloth bundle in a large sheet of parchment and then sealed it
with red wax that bore the imprint of a fox's head.



            "A real bird or a morph arrived?" The cheetah asked. He'd been
meaning to ask...



            "A real bird." Misha answered and unrolled a large map of the
valley on the table next to the package. He pointed a claw to a VERY
southern town. "This is the village of Terreth."



            "That's too far for me to run." Stealth said without pause.



            "Hmm." Misha pondered.



            "...unless."



            "Oh?"



            Stealth scratched his chin in thought, "I could hitch a ride
south with a galloping horse, halfway I'll shift and run the rest of the
way. I can make good time that way."



            Misha thought for a moment, "It sounds practical."



            "Are there any patrols heading south? I should find out and set
off as soon as possible."



            "Hmmm, they usually leave early but if it's just a patrol south
then they would be more flexible."



            "I think I'll go to the stables and see for myself, I think it's
faster then finding out from George." The cat figured.



            "Alright," The fox nodded, "If you can't secure a spot with a
patrol you can try hiring a horse."



            "Or better yet talk a morph into taking me though that isn't too
likely." Stealth picked up the package and weighed it in his arms, the
feline looked at the map and noted the icons, "Terreth, after the last
signal tower I turn left..." He mused.



            Misha shook his head, "No, that takes you directly to the iron
mine. You need to turn left at the castle below it."



            "That's the main path, I'm looking at the most direct way
there." He pointed to a spot near the barrier range, "I head off the path at
the tower then make my way past this village and the edge of the mountain
range."



            "For all you know that area is dense woodland." Misha warned.



            "It might be but if there are settlements in that area then
there should be paths connecting them." Stealth pointed out. "Besides, an
attack is unlikely out that way but if there is, I'll be ready." Though he
said it he didn't sound convinced.



            The fox nodded. "All right, the gears are unique but cheap so
you should be safe. Besides there'll be retribution if someone is dumb
enough to attack you."



            Stealth smiled beginning to feel better, "Why are you Longs so
nice?"



            The fox gave a yip of laughter, "Not much point getting a price
on our heads to protect people if we act like arses to them."



            The cat chuckled, "Good to hear, though I doubt Nasoj can afford
to pay any bounty these days." He pointed out, "So where is my suit, the
Guild Tower?"



            "Aye, I would have preferred to move it to the armoury for safe
keeping after they finished with it but it's best to talk to the mages again
when you try it on." Misha answered.



            "Then I'll do that now," He said and headed to the door with the
gears.



            "One thing though, you don't need to rush on your way back, take
your time after you get there."



            "I wont. Don't worry. We cats know how to relax." He winked at
the fox.



            Stealth walked back to his apartment, it was only on the other
side of the corridor! Inside he placed the package in his backpack and slung
it over one shoulder. Returning to his bedroom door, Stealth noticed he left
it open and he could hear Misha in the room across the way rolling up his
map. The cat closed his door and closed his eyes in concentration then he
opened them again and peaked out the door. He could no longer hear Misha's
movement. Misha's apartment was not out there, instead the portal opened
into a courtyard in front of the Guild Tower!



            "Thank you Kyia! Thank you! Thank you Milady!" He said to the
ceiling in mirth and then rushed the distance to the doors of the Mages'
Guild chambers.



            A quarter of an hour later Stealth ran out of the Mages' Guild
covered in a warm and strong coat that covered sporadic parts of his body
though concealed under his clothing. Stealth got his armour fitted this time
in morph form and it fit much better now then the first time. The morph ran
through an arch out of the courtyard into a large hallway. He was surprised
to see a single small door at the end but quickly opened it. Inside the
courier found another hallway though it ran parallel and horizontal to the
one he left.



            Another single door stood open on the other side of the
corridor. A keeper approached from the room beyond and looked at the feline.
Stealth stood there and stared back at the figure in the portal.



            "Stealth? I thought you went to the Mages' Guild?" Misha said
confused as he stood at the entrance to his apartment.



            The cheetah turned his head to the door he'd entered through,
that door now lead to his bedroom. To the Long scout it looked as though
he'd never left!



            "Oh! You have your armour I see," The fox noted, "Good, now I
know haste is important but I want to see for myself that this thing works
properly before you leave."



            "I see." Kyia can send him to many places but so can she bring
him back it seemed... "I did this already at the Guild Tower."



            "I'm sure you did but I won't have an accident occur with this
thing because of me. I want to see if it works." The fox countered sternly.



            "Fine, let's go into," He looked behind himself just to make
sure, "My apartment."



            Quickly after entering, Stealth removed his clothing and
shifted. He began to feel more comfortable with others seeing his body
seeing as how many times he had to shift without adequate privacy though he
did keep his back turned until the shift to animal was complete.



            Turning around, the cheetah looked up at the scout expectantly.



            "Move around, let's see if it's good to move." Misha ordered.



            The feline groaned and looked up in irritation.



            Misha scooped up the cat's clothes and held them away from him.
"Move about." He ordered again.



            The cat sighed and paced around the room like someone trying on
a new pair of shoes. He then looked up at the scout again.



            "Hmmm." The Long said and gazed long and hard at the armour, "Do
you trust this thing?"



            Stealth nodded firmly.



            Misha nodded, "All right."



            The feline shook his head at the fox =96 he thought Misha was
overreacting just a bit. In his zeal, Stealth shifted quickly in front of
the fox this time. "Now give me my- !" He wobbled about on his toes but
managed to right himself. "What? What the hell is happening?"



            Misha looked down at the cheetah morph, who consciously clasped
his privates. "Stealth, your feet. You're standing on paws."



            The cheetah looked down past his clasped hands to his feet and
sure enough they were elongated. His ankles reached far off the ground while
only his toes and the ball of his feet (albeit armoured) rested on the
floor.



            "I'm digitigrade? He asked in surprise and excitement.



            "You didn't shift completely back to your morph form..." Misha
pointed out.



            Stealth began to smile. While it did scare him that such a thing
happened he felt excited too. However as soon as the cheetah tried to walk
forward he instead managed to fall forward.



            Misha instantly reached out and caught him. "Are you okay?
Perhaps it's best to shift back to plantigrade." He suggested softly.



            Stealth didn't speak but went over his situation. In his fright
he unclasped his cat parts and currently lay there in the fox's arms, naked
and exposed... The cat began to pale.



                Misha laughed a little at his discomfort but only for a
moment. "Relax spots. Just relax."



            "Misha... give me my pants."



            "You still can't stand, shift back." The fox reminded.



            Stealth cringed and shifted fully back to his most humanoid form
then propped himself off the fox.



            Misha held out his wrist which had the feline's pants and shirt
draped over it. Stealth quickly took both but focused first on replacing his
pants.



            "Misha, why do you hate pants so?" The cheetah asked as he
threaded his armoured legs through.



            "Because they keep ripping when I become a fabulous FOXTAUR!"
The fox answered and wagged his tail.



            Stealth smiled tiredly, "Now I'm off." He said and walked
quickly away.



            "When you get back we can figure out your foot paws!" The scout
called out.



            "I'm looking forward to it," Stealth called back. "I'll have my
clothes on!"



--------------------------



            "But I need to head south as soon as I can!" The feline implored
to a random knight in the stables.



            Stealth felt conscious of his armour, while he did wear the suit
under his clothing, anyone looking would see his hands and feet were covered
with steel claws. In fact he couldn't even use his hands so he kept them
concealed, hoping his appearance wouldn't dampen his chances of getting a
ride.



            "Kid, I'm not a taxi." The stallion said and turned his back to
adjust the harnesses on his mount's saddle.



            He'd asked the patrol leader for a ride, she declined but
eventually agreed to let him join them if someone else in the party allowed
him to hitch a ride. The woman also explained that they were only heading as
far south as Lorland. The cheetah hoped they would travel a bit further to
the next signal tower down but Lorland would be fine.



            Stealth turned to another soldier nearby, "I've been on patrol
with cavalry before, and I know how to ride! Please, it's important!"



            "So you can make a delivery faster and make more money out of
it." A gender morph retorted.



            "No, not me, it's for a friend!" Stealth argued.



            "Then tell him to make the trip, son." An age regressed knight
answered.



            "But he can't, I'm gonna run the rest of the way. Come on I'm
not gonna slow you down, I'm really light." He beseeched to anyone who could
hear him."



            "Coulda' fooled me, how can you move in that thing?" Someone he
didn't see asked.



            "It's magical; it's lighter then me, really! And I know how to
fight." He pestered.



            "Who are you doing this for?" Another GM asked.



            Stealth turned around, "Misha Brightleaf." He waited
expectantly.



            "Oh, why didn't you say so? He has enough money!" Someone
laughed and so too did a few others.



            This was not going well. Stealth sighed and pondered to himself.
He turned to leave; perhaps he could ask a stable hand if there were any
horses for hire.



            "Okay, I'll take you." A small voice said.



            Stealth turned in the direction of the voice and half expected
to hear another quip. He turned his gaze down toward a small mouse... thing.




            "I am Sir Arenet," He bowed, "You won't weigh me down."



            "Thank you sir." The cat bowed low to the rodent. "I will not
impede your task. And my name is Stealth."



            "It is nice to meet you Sir. Now there is one thing," He pointed
out, "I have family in Terreth and I'd like to hear from them."



            "Okay, what are their names, what do they look like?" The
cheetah asked, it was the least he could do he supposed.



            "I have a sister who is a similar species to me, she runs the
local inn, has a long, almost furless and flat tail; she looks built for
water. Her name is Lyng. If you can't find her ask for her on behalf of Sir
Arenet." He explained slowly. "I haven't heard from them since after the
assault. I want to hear if they are well."



            The cheetah nodded, "I will be sure to do that, to be safe I'll
confirm that with you when we reach Lorland and write it down."



            "I understand. We will leave soon so please be ready." The
dormouse said and returned to his horse. Stealth remained near by and waited
as the seconds slowly trickled away.
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