Scraps of the oni.

[Tsukiko]

(Closed to Lorenor)


A good fox keeps her ears ready for the sounds of opportunity. The pained death of a deer or the sound of a badger eating in the open were signs that a fox could move in and scavenge a meal.
And Kitsune were no different. They were the magical descendants of foxes and as such they had the instincts to find opportunity.

“You know that this temple will be easy for us. We've Hunted Oni before but none of them had treasure like this place.” Said a boisterous deep voice of a large samurai.

“Well it does sound tempting and these people need the temple cleansed.” Spoke a quiet swordswoman

“Yeah, I say we do it but we need to be ready. Oni are Strong and we need supplies and weapons if we are to assault the place.” Spoke a small but quick warrior.

Tsukiko had her ears perked and her tails twitched as if she saw a squirrel that didn't notice her. The Prey was a group of samurai. No, she was not going to attack or rob them but they were talking of temple filled with danger and treasure, a fallen temple in the mountains. Evil Oni had taken over the once holy ground and needed to be purged so artifacts could be recovered and the monks that died could be given a proper burial.

The Vixen was smiling as she looked over the samurai. They were a well varied triad of two men and a woman. One man was lithe and held had a smaller blade than normal tucked in his obi, it smelled of jade; the other was a large man that had a blade large enough that it had to be worn on his back and the woman had a sword, but intuition told Tsuki that the woman wouldn't need the sword, for she wore it reversed and it seemed to look more of a symbol than a weapon. They looked like they could take the demons and probably the spoils.

Tsuki knew what she would do, when the samurai would attack the temple, she would sneak in and nab an artifact before they got it. It wasn't a bad thing to do, they weren't going to miss a couple of objects. It seemed easy. But then her ears fell flat. Tsuki hated doing things rushed and she would be rushed if she went at the same time as the samurai and she didn't want to wait. Perhaps there was someone else in the tavern that could help her. She could go to the temple before the samurai and take the items while killing a few oni.

Tsuki decided on that plan and turned her focus to the rest of the tavern. It was a quiet establishment as the only ones talking were the samurai. Everyone else was silently taking a drink. The vixen needed a partner that could be both quiet and deadly. Most of them looked harmless farmers just having an evening drink before returning to their homes. But there had to be someone fitting for the job.

It was odd for a Fox to take her meal before the killing of the prey but that was the way to get the best meat. If she waited for the kill, there'd be only scraps.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

January 1st., C.P., 1815.
2:30 P.M.

Late afternoon. A sea-fearing luxury vessel hailing from Corone's port city of Jadet made its way into Yambo Harbor. A shipment of cargo, supplies, and refugees was unloaded into the city's vastly growing population. The ocean scent laced the air. The luxury liner, called the Harvester by its owners, was an old ship with a lot of history. It was painted black and made of a special titanium alloy retrofitted with other alloys making it suitable for sea faring trips. The vessel was constantly on the ocean, making round trips all around the various continents of Althanas. It was a cruise ship, owned by a private investor operating out of Corone's business district.

Upon its spider-silk sails was the emblems of Corone's shipyard guilds. An enterprise that had sprung up in about the last two or three centuries as sea-faring vessels became more trendy on Althanas. The vessel had a figurehead of a dragon's statue, probably in the image of Lord Draconus himself, pointing proudly ahead with a sword. The figure was constructed with fine artistic detail made of the same impressive materials as the rest of the cruiser. The luxury liner pulled slowly into the Yambo harbor, waves flowing with the wake of the ship. Planks were lowered and individuals of all walks of life moved across their structures. The deep blue cerulean ocean awaited beneath the ship with its infinite secrets. Gulls bellowed their unique calls and captured fish that were dangerously close to the surface of the ocean.

There were many gulls and other seabirds feeding in this fashion. A constant ebb and flowing of life. Amongst the individuals that moved off the ship, a certain small Salvarn Lord faded quickly into the crowd. Sticking out like a sore thumb, the nobleman clearly didn't belong with the latest batch of refugees. Few Salvarns made their way out to Akashima for many reasons, the deep cold of their beloved Northlands being one of them. Mingling smoothly through the crowd, the small nobleman kept his cowl covering hie had, the vlince cloak flowing in the ocean breeze. Merchants called their propaganda in an attempt to unload wares unto the hapless tourists. Beggers called out for an extra gold coin.

Lorenor was having none of it. He had business in Akashima. A certain tribe living within the Shirayama Slopes. Visions of a crystal spire taunting the mutant in his sleep. Within the Yambo harbor district lay many taverns and pubs. One particular such tavern was called The Nine Oysters. Lorenor saw the old, crudely decorated oak sign swinging in the breeze. Akashiman architecture was still very new to the mutant. He had learned a bit about Akashiman mannerisms and culture from some of the individuals in the vessel traveling alongside him. Lorenor had also chanced upon a few Akashiman humans who served the mutant as victims of his voracious appetite. The feed exchanged powerful memories that served as a potent guide for the mutant in a foreign land.

Lead to Akashima by a series of complex dreams, and the will of N'Jal, Lorenor had an ulterior motive for being there. St. Denebriel had betrayed him with corrupt deceit, the Empire had declared the mutant and his tribe of merry men, the Red Hand, enemies of the state. Lorenor was a known practitioner of a secret organization known as the Cult of N'Jal. This knowledge was leaked to the local government, and thusly, the Knights of Dawn were hot on his ass. They had the thick-headed notion of prematurely ending Lorenor's journey. The mutant would have none of that, and so he fled Corone. He would flee to the ends of Althanas to find a safe harbor if need to practice his religion and spread the will of N'Jal.

Eyes fell upon the form of the small Salvarn Lord. This made the mutant uncomfortable because some of the eyes belonged to the local soldiers of this newly discovered island nation. A soldier was still a soldier. Lorenor knew. He would have to work his way around these armed and trained brutes if he was to uncover his true purpose for being on the island to begin with. He was well on his way to a land known as Antioch. There was very little reason to stop in Akashima save for the visions tormenting the mutant in his sleep. So, a nearby guard seemed like he knew his stuff. Lorenor approached the stout warrior.

"Konichiwa citizen." The man said in a friendly salute. "What do you desire today citizen?" He asked quickly, but maintaining a polite posture. Lorenor responded right away. "I am looking for passage to the Crystal Spire. I am here to seeketh counsel from the Royal Family and political asylum." The soldier rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The Crytal Spire huh? Are you interested in becoming one of them Warders?" Lorenor listened to the words carefully trying to pick up code and slang. "I need to meet someone out in the Crystal Spire. That monolith structure doth contain the individuals I seeketh." The soldier nodded casually. "You seem like you have a solid gold piece about you. Take your gold and head to that tavern over there. The Nine Oysters. You can't miss it, 'tis a lively joint." Lorenor thanked the guard and was on his way to the tavern.

Following the various scents in the tavern, a thick odor of seafood resonated from the structure. Lorenor almost let go of his lunch right there at the powerful smell of fish. Nature's bounty indeed. Lorenor walked in behind a girl that was strangely foxy looking. He needed a drink. The mutant found an empty table and sat down. A moment later, a pretty waitress came by and asked Lorenor for his order. The mutant ordered a whiskey on the rocks, shaken, not stirred and awaited his order. He needed something strong. He needed to be prepared for the journey ahead. He kept staring at the strange fox girl he'd spotted earlier, she had an unusual scent about her.

[Tsukiko]

There wasn't much in the crowd that made Tsukiko feel like there was a good partner. The only samurai or ronin were the demon hunters that she was planning to steal their spoils. But between the farm girl that was drinking too much sake and the woman that was eating the Nine Oysters' namesake and eying Tsuki in a way that she liked the other kind of oysters, there was a dark man that was giving the girl a look that sent shivers down the kitsune's spine. The man was cloaked and the eyes felt otherworldly. Those eyes hid a mystery that sucked Tsuki in... What did this man want with her?

The fox girls tail swished nervously as she ordered a cup of chilled kazeryu sake, so named that it had the smoothness of a cloud but was cloudy like smoke. The flavor was dry and had slight warmth to it that gave the girl courage. Tsukiko got up and moved towards the stranger and sat next to him and sipped her cup again. She was thinking of the saying of keeping friends close and keeping enemies closer.

“You seem like the man I need. I got wind of a place with many artifacts.” The girl was smiling slyly as she kept her voice low so that the trio of warriors wouldn't hear her. “There's an oni infested temple that has many great treasures of magic and I need a partner to help with the oni so I can get in and get some treasures. I'll split the treasure evenly.” The nine tails' daughter wrapped her tail around the chair's leg as she was hoping he would take it. This was a man that she wanted to have her eye on, and the girl was working out a plan if he was an enemy and how she could leave him facing an army of oni as she sneaked away with all the treasure. Of coarse if he was a friend, he would get half the treasure.

“Anyways, I'm Tsukiko.” The fox girl bowed her head and raised her cup in a sitting greeting before taking another sip. She was hoping for good luck, for having a betrayal was the last thing the girl wanted, all she wanted was some treasure since at the moment she was poor and if something didn't happen soon, she would have to return to her mother.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Looking at him strangely, the waitress stared for a moment as if the small warrior were speaking in tongues. "Shaken not stirred? We don't serve whiskey like that...maybe in the land that you're from..." The mutant heard that and laughed a hearty laugh. He turned to look at the waitress. "It was a joke. I was merely attempting to lighteneth the mood." The waitress looked at him with a strange expression on her face, but chuckled briefly bringing a smile to the mutant's face. Lorenor nodded. "Maketh sure that there is ice in the drinketh." Lorenor said calmly. The waitress moved to get his order.

Lorenor sat back in his chair when the girl he was staring at approached the mutant with an air of curiosity about her. Studying the native Akishimans with an inquisitive stare, the mutant observed the interesting characteristics of the girl. She was athletic, had fox ears and a fox's tail. The mutant found these features of the girl to be quite stunning. There were several other individuals with animalistic characteristics. Curious, the mutant wondered if the animal-humans were part of Akashima's populace. He figured that they were.

Introducing her situation, the girl went straight to business. She kept looking at another group of adventurers. Guards. Lorenor figured that he could probably take them if push came to shove. Listening to the girl's plight, the waitress came back with his drink. Lorenor took a long pull of the drink feeling the warmth travel down his throat. Lorenor let her words hang in the for a long time before he finally addressed her. Her bow was a courteous touch, but the Salvarn Lord wasn't impressed. The small warrior kept his eye on the pretty girl and took another long pull of the drink.

Finally, he placed the goblet upon the table, folded his hands across its surface and leaned in close to the girl. "Business aye? Thou seemeth pretty desperate for a partner. I shall tell thee what. This place isn't the safest place to discuss business. Half thou sayeth? I'm in. I doth not knoweth what these Oni of thee's art. But thou hast a partner."

Closing his eyes, the amethyst shine burning from his eye sockets vanishe briefly casting his face in shadow. The hood further served to add to the mystery of the strange Salvarn Lord. Lorenor let the warmth of the whiskey sit in his stomach for a time. "Wouldst thou liketh a drinketh?" He asked of her, offering her a drink of choice before they parted on what would most likely be a long quest. "I hast one request. I seeketh passage to the Crystal Spire. Maybe thou canst help me when we art complete with thy mission." Lorenor hoped that she could guide him to the spire when they were done searching the Oni Temple.

"Would you like anything else sir?"

"Another whiskey for me, plus whatever the girl is having." He motioned towards Tsukiko.

[Tsukiko]

The stranger wanted into the Crystal Spire. Tsukiko had heard of the tower but not much other than it was some magic that brought spirits into the world. “I might be able to help with the tower, I don't know, I've never been to the capital to see it.” The fox girl said apologetically as she realized his offer. “I'll have another cup of sake.” She ordered after some debate on how another drink would affect her.

But anyways the business at hand was not the Crystal Spire. Tsukiko needed to get into the oni infested temple and before the trio of demon hunters. The vixen didn't savor the final cup of sake and downed it as quick as she could, feeling a burning run down her throat as a reward. “Thanks for the drink, but I'm afraid we don't have too much time to waste, we can speak as we walk.” The vixen's tail twitched nervously as the girl was wondering if the trio heard her and weren't going to wait or plan to accost her.

The vixen bowed and gave some time for her new companion to finish his drink but excitement and worry about the demon hunters kept her tail hot. The girl decided that she gave enough time to dcently finish a drink and started to head towards the door and went out into Yanbo Harbor's Streets. The place was dying down as the sun set and the merchants still trading weren't as loud as they would have been in the morning.

The vixen waited and scanned the nearby mountains and forests and saw where the trees thinned. What the girl over heard was that the temple was on the road that skirted on the edge of the forest and plunged deep into the woods at the end where the temple was. “I have a feeling the temple belongs to Ruka.” The vixen said as she thought about the path. “It'll be a bit of a hike.”

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Business at hand was taken care of as gold exchanged owners. The mutant paid for the round of drinks and follower the girl outside. He noticed that she was looking up. But outside of his sensory array, the mutant only saw a gray field. Within the sensory array, the mutant could see everything and almost anything. His senses still needed a bit of acuteness in order to do things like pick wayward thoughts. A constant bombardment of external stimuli made the small warrior quite batty at times. Lorenor followed the girl outside once the transaction was completed.

Yambo's commercial district was quite busy. Lorenor felt, rather than saw, groups of individuals working on their various tasks. Residual feedback noise entered his mind as loud conversations crossed his sensory array. Using his training, the mutant blocked out excess noise and left it in the background. He focused primarily on whatever the girl was saying and doing. Her fox parts made her extremely attractive. Keeping his emotions in check, he heard the last bit of her spoken words. He was paying attention to the scenery.

Seeing the Akashiman soldiers was a great change of pace from the usual Knights of Dawn, his hated enemy. Buildings were built low in order to survive the legendary storms that sometimes came in from the ocean. Only a few tall buildings were visible and these were built with the sturdy Akashiman architecture. Lorenor liked the Akashiman buildings, archways and entry areas were built with a sort of elegance to them. Color schemes were also very dramatic and added a sense of mystique to the city. The mutant noticed that there were many statues everywhere, these were depictions of local deities and quite often, depictions of dragons. Lorenor observed dragons (Drakes specifically) in the endless caverns of Haidia. He knew from the legends that a legendary dragon lived in Haidia. He'd never seen it of course, and frankly, didn't want to. Observing the various nuances of Akashiman architecture made the Salvarn Lord look very much like a tourist.

He noticed that there were beggars on the street here as well. He ignored those having seen his share of them in his day, the lazy runts. Lorenor walked alongside the girl keeping quiet. He finally addressed her. "Thou hast to travel a lot in the wild in Salvar. 'Tis very cold. Very dangerous place. 'Tis nothing to go for a good hike." Lorenor occasionally heard the natives speaking in a mysterious tongue he knew nothing about. The language sounded elegant and quite beautiful. He would learn it and master it during his stay here. Lorenor liked the girl's scent...it was quite interesting. "We shouldst get going if we expeceteth to make it before dark."

Lorenor noticed that a group of warriors left the Nine Oysters and moved in the same general direction that they were heading. Would he have to kill them?

[Tsukiko]

“Yeah, that sounds like Salvar from what I heard, it's a little too cold there for me. I just couldn't think about a winter with no spring.” The girl commented then looked with Lorenor to see the trio on the move. “Great... I guess we'll have to hurry even if the sun will be down anyways. We need to beat them there so they won't pick the place of all the good stuff. Neither of our rewards will be very good if those three get all the treasure before us.”

Tsukiko walked through the stone streets with a quick pace and she didn't slow until she was outside the gates and in the wilderness. Just outside town the land was mostly grass with few trees but as one got closer to the woods and also the temple, the trees would become more common. “I wish I knew the exact location of the temple, then we could cut through the forest, but I think we'll need to stick close to the road and take the fork that leads deeper into the forest.” The fox girl looked at her partner as they walked.

He was a strange sort, very secretive but somehow, Tsuki felt she could trust the man for the moment. He seemed like a shady sort but the kind that would stick to his word until he was done, but also there was a feeling that once his word was up, he was for sale. Honestly he was the best the girl could get at short notice, if she had more time it wouldn't have been hard to go home and ask her mother for a hand. With Ki with her, the treasure hunt would be a cinch. The nine tailed mother could single handedly take on the oni and win.

But Ki wasn't here and Tsuki had to take the allies she was with, at least this one had a scent of power about him. Tsuki was sure that he was going to be useful when most people would just get in the way.

The evening was calm, most birds had become quiet to hide from the owls that were just waking up. Hopefully something would slow down the samurai, but Tsuki wouldn't get her hopes up. She didn't have the tools to lay any traps and it was doubtful a saber lion would be dumb enough to attack them. “I guess all we can do is hurry to the temple.” The vixen lamented as she looked down the dark road, hopefully it would be easy traveling for the pair.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Voices crawled up and down Lorenor's spinal cord. Ancient voices, angry voices, voices that could be exploited by the will of N'Jal. A potent darkness was visible in the air as thick as a vibration of power. Purples of anger, reds of fury, crimsons of revenge. Something evil lurked in this forest and it excited the mutant visibly. As the world of darkness emerged, his auspex powers flared to their full extent. Lorenor took a glance at the girl and then stared at the dark road ahead that was teaming with nocturnal energies. A familiar coldness wrapped itself around the mutant, sending a chill up and down his spine. Lorenor walked in silence but the truth of the matter was that he was concentrating on the world around him.

Promising power, the voices whispered their secrets. Taunting, tormenting, and through the wilderness the mutant could swore he saw figures of people moving in the dark. The books in his possession begged for release, eager to corrupt such a fertile environment. Knowing he would comply, the mutant took a last search for the demon hunters that were after the same things they were. They took a separate path towards their target and this infuriated the small warrior. Suddenly, Lorenor stopped. An idea formed in the back of his mind and he took a long look at Tsukiko. "I possess a plan. A plan that shalt get riddeth of our opponents in due time. But this plan requires preperation--" And there he saw it.

Movement in the bushes. At first the creature appeared as a monster, but once he saw the beating heart of the beast flaring its red tendrils of life-substance, the mutant understood he was staring at a deer. It was a female specimen and it had been drawn to the dual energies of the mutant's power combined with the vixen's. Lorenor would not pass up the good tidings from the will of N'Jal. "Halt Tsukiko. I shalt take care of our fellows. The name is Lorenor by the way." He said calml as he walked towards the female deer. Extending a clawed hand, the deer took several sniffs in the air as it was drawn by a morbid curiosity in the general direction of the small warrior.

Lorenor patiently held his hand out in the general direction of the deer and waited. With the will of N'Jal behind him, the mutant saw that the deer took a liking to the strange one's scent and moved in close. Like a viper, Lorenor suddenly struck his target. Powerful claws wrapped themselves around the neck of the creature and the mutant growled as he prepared to move in for the kill. The thing leaped upward at the last moment but was caught anyway due to the close-range. Lorenor was quite skilled with his hands and could kill with them. The deer's death rattle was alarming as the mutant snapped its neck. It fell down, dead. Lorenor placed both of his hands upon either side of the corpse. Before doing so, he equipped the Horns of Power.

With supernatural strength, the mutant dragged the dying deer onto the road right in front of the vixen. Settling the creature down, Lorenor looked at the girl and nodded calmly. "This will be dinner as well. But first we must prepare." Lorenor said and removed the three components of the Necronomicon along with his ritual tools. And so, he began his dark deed on the forest floor. His ritual dagger, won during involvement in the recent happenings in Salvar, was made out of prevalida. He gutted the deer and began to remove its insides looking for the still beating heart. Using the creatures' blood, the mutant drew elegant symbols upon the floor. These symbols were the dark symbols of N'Jal and to any observer, would seem quite frightening and mysterious.

Lorenor worked his craft, following the instructions of the Necronomicon and began chanting in a foreign tongue. As he chanted, the sigillium glowed with power. It gathered the darkness hiding in the forest and prepared the wording of the circle. Lorenor motioned for Tsukiko to remain in the circle at all times. A wall of power surrounded the duo and storm clouds began to gather from the mountains. Darkness erupted from the three books. The air swelled with its presence. And Lorenor called forth a tremendous evil that lurked within the forest. Neither Oni, neither spirit-folk, the creature was a dread follower of the will of N'Jal.

"Behold o' mighty fiend of the Nether! Cometh forth into this accursed land of Althanas. Once again lurketh upon the mortal coil to tormenteth the living! I do conjureth thee!"

A presence manifested within the circle alongside the duo. A terrible presence, one of vile power. "Servant of the Dark Mother. What is thy command?" The creature asked in a voice that was many voices. Lacking any true form, the thing was a terrifying mass of many heads. It was black, faces distorted in agony. The beast had many pairs of eyes, and many mouths with sharp teeth. It floated off the ground. "Feasteth upon mine enemies! The menfolk who intrudeth upon thy forest! Grant us safe passageway to the Oni Temple!" Lorenor commanded and the creature accepted. "What doth thou offer in return?" The fiend asked. "This life, and the lives of our enemy!" Lorenor held up the deer's heart. It was taken into the fold of the beast with a brilliant burst of purple fire. The deer's body faded into the fiend's body in a horrifying consumption.

The creature had a name that Lorenor spoke, but the name was too terrifying for mortal ears. "Thy offer is accepted dread servant of N'Jal. May thy venture prove productive to the will of the Dark Mother." And with that, the circle's power died down and the creature floated into the darkness of the forest to feast upon the living. Evil lurked within the forest now. Lorenor closed his books, picked up his ritual tools and left the circle as it was. He took a small figuring of N'Jal and offered it as a sacrifice to his beloved goddess. The mutant buried the figurine beneath the circle's central most axis point and looked at Tuskiko after putting away his belongings.

"Let's go. We've already wasted enough time."

In the distance, screams and shouts were heard. Lorenor grinned a satisfied grin.

[Tsukiko]

Tsukiko Shivered when she realized what her partner was doing. The man was working a strong spell that was fulled with evil. Tsuki's heart raced as she watched Lorenor practiced foul arts to call a monster. His words flowed like smooth bile as the ritual took place over a killed deer. The poor beast was too curious for its own good and now Tsukiko was wondering if she was in the same position as the doe.

The being that Lorenor summoned was a mass of hungry maws. It seemed to be a beast that was meant purely to devour everything it could. The vixen felt bad that her ally had released such an abomination upon the poor forest and even felt bad for her enemies. But the girl didn't do anything but watch and wait, for fear of becoming the mouth monster's next meal. At least this spell meant that the pair could get to the temple without worries of being beaten. Even though the path was easier, Tsukiko hated hearing the screams.

Thanks to the monster, the forest was silent, all the animal had gone into hiding in fear of the new fiend in the forest. The trees were still and the night cold. Tsuki looked towards her new ally. “I'm worried, that monster will wreck havoc on the forest and what if it runs into an innocent?” The girl shivered as she thought about what the monster could do.

Thankfully the road was coming to an end and the stone snake guardian statues were in view. The vixen felt a little better now that the goal was in view. “I was right, it's a temple for Ruka. The Lore Guardian of the Earth.” The girl was rather happy that she had made it to the temple but the victory was bitter for the monster that was brought forth in order for her to be first. “Be careful, there's oni inside that temple and some can be as nasty as that monster you summoned and maybe even worse.” The vixen said with her tail twitching. She really wished that Lorenor didn't summon such a beast.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Hearing the words, Lorenor paused for a moment. Turning slowly towards the girl the mutant scowled. To him, the will of N'Jal was absolute. It was the single driving force behind what twisted logic the mutant had left. Staring for a long moment, the mutant considered carefully what he was about to say when he quipped at her. He realized that he was probably about to be very harsh, but he could not hold his tongue when it came to the defense of the dark mother. "Fool! The will of the dark mother is absolute! I must obey the commanding of mine mistress." Lorenor was angry. He wanted to physically destroy something but his partner would not suffice, he was a professional after all.

Walking a few steps towards the location of their Oni temple, the mutant paused after a moment. He'd probably unleashed a sharp tongue upon the girl for little reason of her own design. Lorenor considered apologizing to the girl but decided it was better to keep his wits. "Forget it, let's just be on our wayeth." Lorenor started to walk towards the temple again leaving the sigil and its gory contents behind. Lorenor drew one of his prevalida swords. Focusing for a moment on the quality of her weapons, or lack there of, the mutant realized that his companion was ill prepared to face the Oni. Owning an extra prevalida longsword, Lorenor removed the scabbard from his person and walked over to her. As an offering of peace and truce, the mutant handed her the weapon.

"Tis a longsword made of prevalida. Thou canst wield it for the time." He paused as if he were going to say something else. But not one who was very formal, the mutant decided that the offering of the masterwork sword would be enough for his earlier snapping. He took a look back at the circle he'd cast and the corpse of the doe. Lorenor wore a sly grin the entire time that tugged at the corner of his lips. He waited until she took the weapon, knowing that she would. Who would turn down such a gift?