--- Story Time -- 385 -- Vagrant Story ---
"I want a bed-time story," Joshua demanded sleepily, even as she tucked him in deeper into his bed.
Callo smiled at him and kissed him on the forehead, then thought about it.
At length, she decided. "Once upon a time, rather near to here and in the middle of winter, there was a little boy, dressed up in his brand new clothes. He sat too close to the fire and fought with his sister, who pushed him into the fire. The poor boy was burnt all to ashes. Then his family all froze to death, because even though they got very, very cold, they simply couldn't bring themselves to poke up the ashes of their son. The end."
"That was a wretched story!" Joshua wailed.
She sighed. "A wretched story, eh? Well, then, what type of bedtime story did you want?"
"I don't know, but not one like that one! It was wretched!"
"Merlose, have you been telling him stories about your childhood again?"
She whirled to see Riot leaning against the corner of the room. He was, as usual, badly injured.
He moved towards them, limping more than a little.
At least he isn't lying on my kitchen table to recover from being killed... She thought.
"I most certainly haven't! What do you take me for, an idiot?"
"I want a good bedtime story," Joshua chirped. And then he made his eyes wide and round. "Sir Ashley, please tell me a bedtime story?"
Riot stopped, going pale, but then continued to limp towards them.
"What kind of bedtime story?"
"One with DRAGONS!"
"Dragons."
"And LIONS!"
"Lions."
"And KNIGHTS and bears and monsters-- butnottoomany --and dungeons!"
"Dragons, lions, knights, bears, monsters and dungeons... That's a rather large story." Riot seated himself on Joshua's bed. "It might take me years to tell."
"Well, try, Riot," she said, giving Joshua another kiss on the forehead. "And then meet me in the kitchen. We need to Talk about that Demon steed of yours trying to bite my arm off."
He nodded and she left the room, leaving the door just a little ajar.
"Long, long ago, in West Valendia, there was a fearsome monster, made out of a lion, a bear, and three dragons..." Ashley's voice echoed down the hall.
She smiled and closed the hallway door.