The Lore Wain and Her Nephew Pt. 40

No one would blame Ramger for being worried when he saw only the ex pirate, the fang, and lost princess walking back to the ship among the supplies. Kinabrick was among them and immediately went to explain the situation to Ramger so he wouldn't have a panic moment. He was first to aboard the ship and he approached Ramger, who was holding a now awakened Echo. "Ramger, everything is resolving itself." Kinabrick began before being interrupted. "Then where is the Lore Wain? The 'ex' strander? How about that ridgerunner? Why aren't they on board?" Ramger presented rapid fire questions like a worried sick mother who's child ran away from home. Kinabrick held one hand up to gesture Ramger to relax. "Celeste and Clef adventured to the orchard owner's brother for more supplies. She said he owned a farm a mile or so up the road." Nibble hobbled onto the ship, leaning on Alagatha. "Wesss were attacked by tiny people and poor Bean got kidnapped..." "WHAT?!" Ramger exclaimed. Kinabrick shot a death glare at Nibble, who was oblivious to Ramger's backstory. "Pardon him," Alagatha butted in, "He got shot with two poisonous darts." She then proceeded to help Nibble down into the lower cabin. "P-poisonous darts???" Ramger leaned on a nearby barrel with a look of trauma on his face. He slowly looked down at Echo, as if making sure he was still there. Echo stared up at him with a blank expression. It was unclear what the tiny child was thinking. "Ramger." Ramger looked back at Kinabrick. "Everything is resolving itself. Give me time to explain." Kinabrick said, leading Ramger to the Captain's cabin to tell him everything that happened. - Celeste and Clef were half way to the farm when she noticed him dragging his feet. "Hey, are you doing alright?" Celeste said, looking behind her to look at Clef. "... Are you sure I'll still be part of the crew?... If your royal advisor is from Torrboro, he'll know exactly who I am..." He mumbled with his eyes to the dirt road. She stopped so Clef could catch up with her. Once he stopped at her side, she made him look at her. "When did you start worrying what Ramger thinks? He's already uptight and... I think he's a bit paranoid. I'm not letting you go for the sake of sensibilities. Don't you remember what we just talked about at Nala's?" Clef sighed, "I want to believe it but... I'll be honest with you, I'm having a hard time." "That's because you won't forgive yourself." Celeste said bluntly. "That could be true...but it's because I don't... I'm so used to being lied to. Even before this, I still doubted everyone's good intentions towards me to be genuine. Even yours, Celeste." He said this looking at Celeste while also fidgeting with his hair tie in his hands. "It's not that I don't want to believe you or anyone else on the crew... I just don't want to be disappointed." Celeste took the hair tie from Clef's fidgeting hands, reached up to his unruly black hair, and tied it back for him. "Well, I trust you." She said with a soft smile. "I have no reason to doubt you, Clef." Clef softly smiled in response. "I hope you have enough of that trust for the two of us." "You might be surprised with how much you have already." Celeste replied as she started walking to the farm now with Clef at her side. - The three ridgerunners hunkered down beside a bush, looking in at their tribe's camp. "What's the plan?" Zarabean asked Pummi. "... I think I have an idea but I don't know if you'll like it." Pummi replied, looking over at his brother. "Well, tell us so we can decide." Till replied. Pummi leaned close to the two of them and whispered his plan to them. "You're right. I hate it." Zarabean remarked with a sneer. "You have any other ideas because we're taking them now." Pummi said. Zarabean sighed. "Alright. Zarabean will do it..." After a few more details were discussed, Pummi ceased Zarabean, pulled his arms behind his back, and led him down into the village. Till snuck off to execute the other part of Pummi's plan. The other ridgerunners stared as they both walked by. They couldn't believe their eyes--Pummington caught his brother all by himself? That's a shock. The plump ridgerunner never ran voluntarily, much less chase someone else down. Pummi and Zarabean climbed stairs up and around a big tree in the center of the camp and entered the large tree building in its branches. This lofty place was merely one large room with twelve chairs in a large circle. On those chairs sat some pretty old looking ridgerunner folk. Half of them were female with ridiculously long hair and the other half were male with ridiculously long beards. One of those on the counsel was Pummi and Zarabean's mother, Ambersa. "Pummi?" Their mother remarked with shock. "You caught Beanie?" "Yes, mom." Pummi replied before being interrupted by the oldest male ridgerunner there. "Hold a plum yum second. Did we not just send you out with a small group to fetch him? If that's so, why have you come after they have returned?" Pummi glanced at his mother and then back at the ridgerunner asking him the question. "I had fallen inside the house by mistake but I managed to bring my brother back." "How curious." Another female ridgerunner remarked. "I've heard some interesting reports from the group that went with you." Zarabean could feel his brother's palms starting to sweat. "What have you heard, Quanka?" Pummi asked, maintaining a calm looking demeanor. "I heard that they heard someone telling a story... Who was it... A ridgerunner named Namda?" Quanka remarked. "You fool, it was 'Palma'." Another chief ridgerunner remarked. Quanka looked content to know the real name. "Ah, thank you. Yes... 'The Legend of Palma and Lint'... I haven't heard that one since my youth." "What about this story??" Zarabean and Pummi's mom asked. "Ambersa, please let me think. I forgot what I was going to say." Quanka said with frustration. "Where was I... Ah yes, the story. Haven't heard it since my youth and for a good reason." She leaned forward with her eyes wide, "They gave me crazy ideas about being generous." The other ridgerunner chiefs gasped, all except Ambersa. "What's wrong with that?" Ambersa asked. "Should we not be generous?" Quanka shook her head. "Of course not. Palma was a slave to King Wesley, she was no friend of his. She only got to her position because she was kidnapped by human pirates. Palma had every right to hate Lint." The ridgerunner chiefs began murmuring. The eldest leaned over to Quanka, "I don't think the others remember that story. Do you?" "Of course I do, Beebus." Quanka looked at Pummington and sneered. "And Pummington does as well. Reports said he cried upon hearing it." "He did?" Ambersa asked hopefully. Pummi was starting to lose his cool. The counsel knew more than he thought they did. What could he do now?