Dragon's Egg - Act III

[SomethingToPonder]

I see the priest approaching me, apparently standing in the shadows did me no favours.
I act calmly and walk towards him speaking as I go.
"Hello priest of Tyr, I am one of the travellers who helped protect the village, The others are otherwise occupied and myself being the scholar that I am I was hoping you may have some books I could have a look at, I will take good care of them of course. I have an interest especially in the magics your people seem to distrust so much. Perhaps you have a couple of these books somewhere that you... "guard". I promise I shall do no spells or even think of it again until I am far from the village, I don't even know if I could cast a spell. "
Hopefully he does not know I am a wizard or even better has let his curiosity get the better of him at some time or another and cast a few in secret himself.

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron
"I am blessed by not having to adhere to societies honor system. I deem honor by my definition. Honor was refraining from killing any of the dogmen today, to save the townspeople from more death. Honor for me was not killing the priest that Ankari killed, for the quest we are on was more important than one mans bigotry. I considered sneaking in to the temple and slipping a knife into the back of the priest, cleanly and quietly for believing harming our winged girl was the best course of action. I never got the chance and the town went crazy for Ankari's actions. Sometimes a quiet killing is much better then a loud spectacle of a killing. If we see the dogmen again, our truce is over. They were suppose to leave the area and end their association with those that employed them to kill innocents. If they return they are targets to be killed."
Aliron adjusts his position,
"MY honor would have me help Mauve escape, I went to do just that when Bressel told me she was being held. I would have killed any sentry that could not be dealt with by other means. So I would have been wanted in town also. But as it played out I am free and probably well thought of in town, having saved the children and killed many fishies.
I will defend Mauve from the townspeople. Ankari will not probably need my help. But I would probably defend Ankari too. We swore to the quest and those that work towards completing it. I do not agree with his methods, but the end probably would not have made much of a difference."

"Now, Trust does not come easy for me. I trust Bressel, You(Bladhart),and Mauve. You three have seen me at times when you could have taken advantage of the situation and did not. I do not know who else I trust in the group. With the town in jeopardy I did not trust anyone with this location. It was too easy to sell out the group and the girls to spare lives of the towns people. Do you trust the group we have?
"I trust Ankari with our special girls. He killed for them. I do not know if I trust him for the group or the quest, but I do believe he thinks he is doing what is best for the group. That Mauve put herself in jeopardy for him, adds to this belief."
Aliron suddenly looks up at the girls, then to Massama.
"I appologize Massama, I did not mean to leave you out. I depended on you to care for the girls and you did well. You could have taken the girls and left or turned them over to the enemy for profit. But you didn't."
"The fallen knight and his girl friend, the wolf girl with the singing wolf, the crazy mage, they fight well, but do they fight for the well being of the group and the fulfilment of the quest or are they fighting for something different?"

Aliron yawns, still staring into the flames.
"Was it just me being tired or was there a wolf singing in the night?" Aliron asks.

 

[Keitsumah]

I laugh in response. "Cadell, I lived most of my life out in the forest on my own. But I will come -it's getting chilly out here anyways." Encouraging Batos up from the ground -the wolf seems sullen all of a sudden- we follow along behind the elven knight back toward the village.

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I laugh. "Of course, how silly of me."

We head back to the village, and I head for the Maiden's Spear. Aga is asleep when I poke my head into the common-room, but she jerks up as I enter. I smile and wave away her apology. "Don't worry about it. I should be the one to apologize, leaving you on your own like that. I only meant to get a breath of fresh air, and my feet wandered away with the rest of me."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Ankari didn't kill for Branwen. I met him in the woods, and he told me he meant to kill more elders of Arendal, even Gisla. His reason: they didn't rush to Srilkind's rescue. I said nothing to him—what was there to say?

"He had a chance to rescue those at the Crow with us, but went off on his own as usual. He failed to act, where those in Arendal didn't know. How could they? Even stranger, instead of helping me kill the gnolls, he befriended them. I can't make sense of it! I won't waste the effort.

"Mauve hates me for this, but I vowed to side with Gisla because I fight for my goddess. I took no vow that forces me to become a murderer, and if I did, I'd break that vow—as to keep it would mean betraying my goddess. I won't betray Brynhild for someone I've only known for a week and a half, especially if he endangers us with his insanity. And since Ankari admitted his intent, I don't regret almost impaling him.

"Not that I was trying to kill him. I thought if I made my vow aloud, Mauve would rescue him—which she did. And no, I wasn't using a vow to my goddess to play an angle. I needed to make my intent known. I didn't need to kill Ankari, but I needed to be sure our group wouldn't consider going against Arendal. Only a vow to my goddess would show I'm not being deceptive; the vow was sincere. I would lose my goddess' favor—lose Nissa—if I started killing good people because one of our own was caught red handed.

"When I saw Ankari still there, standing over the body and boasting of his murder, I knew there was a method to his madness, but what? At first, I figured he may have made his actions known to protect the rest of us—as I did with my vow, which was loyalty to Gisla during our stay under the condition none of us would be found guilty by association. We all had motive to kill Geralt, so I wondered if Ankari realized a quiet kill would've cast suspicion on the whole group.

"But after what he told me in the woods, I considered a more likely reason: that he meant to force us against the town—or the town against us—so we'd execute the militia with him.

"I'll make my position very clear: I will not betray my goddess or Her principles. Simply put, I won't make decisions that I know will get good people killed.

"Alin, I'm glad you trust me, so know this: when I enter a town, I'll do all I can to make us likable, so when monsters do come hunting for Burnbright, people will rally to our side, not sell us out—and they'll trust us to defend them. I won't give dangerous knowledge, so when monsters attack, all the people need to know is that we'll fight for the innocent. We have that reputation now to back it up, which makes the north safer for us… though not nearly as much as it would be had Ankari not tainted us with murder.

"Of course, I'll trust you to listen and recognize suspicious types who might take advantage of us. We all have our talents. Despite what happened, I'll give everyone else the benefit of the doubt. If we continue betraying each other's trust, the enemy will crush us."


EDIT -

As I settle down to try resting, I make sure to tell Alin, "Gisla knows Mauve saved her life. Mauve won't have any trouble, though she's smart to stay out of sight just the same. Gisla's fine with letting Ankari go, but devout Tyr followers won't be as forgiving. Ankari left town, so let's hope he has the sense to stay out, and find us on the road later on."

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron and Bressel sleep.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart attempts to stay awake as Masama meditates.



((@SP, Basically, if you want to have some hours pass, Masama can always talk to Baldy after she rests.))

 

[Steerpike]

The Cave

Burnbright does look tired. Branwen, on the other hand, seems quite alert. "It's because she slept most of the night," says Burnbright, stifling a yawn. "Me and Masama were up. I couldn't sleep, and Masama wouldn't sleep because he was supposed to be watching us. So he showed me some of his fighting moves instead."

As Aliron, Bressel, and Baldhart talk about fighting, Burnbright follows the conversation silently, then chimes in near the end. "Can't you fight with honor and still win? Isn't that what the gods do - protect the good and honorable? They say Veborg never uttered a false word in her life, even when she was a kid. And she always gave her enemy a fair chance. They always knew she was there and had a chance to fight back. Because she had honor, and courage, and didn't lie or cheat, and because her cause was good, the gods favored her. That's what they say anyway."

Burnbright yawns again and the lays down, back to back with Baldhart. She is still awake, following the discussion, but her eyes grow heavy.

Branwen, meanwhile, moves about the cave as Aliron does, and as Aliron and Bressel finally settle down to sleep, the little harpy sits cross-legged near Aliron and plays with her doll.

Masama waves off Baldhart's thanks modestly. "It was Asra who led me here. All thanks be to her."

He then takes the necklace and meditates with it. He sits, facing the mouth of the cave, the necklace in his hands, low hums sounding in his throat and chest. He continues in this fashion for a few moments, then puts the necklace on, closes his eyes and grows silent. At least a half an hour passes in this way, his breathing soft, body motionless. Then his eyes snap open and he turns toward Baldhart to see if she is still awake. She is, though by this point Burnbright is asleep.

"Understand that this is not my area of expertise," Masama says, with his usual wide grin, white teeth shining in his face. "I think I have come to learn something of this necklace, though one of the priests of my people could tell you more. I sensed imbalance while I meditated. The air around me was not quiet. The breeze coming in through the cave mouth seemed to turn aside, ever so slightly, before it reached my body."

He hands the necklace back to Baldhart. "My belief is this - the necklace does something to the air around the person who wears it. It is a subtle shift in the air. Subtle, but definite. I believe this could affect the path of many things, including perhaps arrows, bolts, or thrown stones. I do not believe this will provide absolute protection against such things, but it should make you harder to hit, and in some cases, missiles that might otherwise have hit would miss you, being turned aside just enough by the imbalance in air." He shrugs. "Or so it seems to me. I hope this is helpful."

 

[Steerpike]

The Temple

The priest opens his mouth to speak when Aldar mentions he is among those who saved the village, but then snaps it shut when the wizard mentions books on magic.

"I am grateful that you have helped to save the village. Let there be no doubt of that. But at least one of your group was involved in the murder of my mentor, and you travel with a dirty thing - a demon in the guise of a child. And now you come to this temple, where your comrade so recently slew Father Geralt out of a misguided notion of protecting a demon, and you ask me about magic?"

"We are faithful servants of Tyr. We have no knowledge of the magics you refer to. Travel but a bit north, to the edge of the Taint, and you will see the fruits of that kind of knowledge. Were I to come across such a book, I would surely burn it before that knowledge could corrupt those around me."

"Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"

 

[Steerpike]

The Spear

Aga reddens when Cadell smiles. "Oh, it's OK. I can manage on my own down here. I do it all the time. But I think I'm going to close up for the rest of the morning. Gisla won't mind. Besides, it doesn't look like anyone else is coming in. I think most of the village is asleep. A soft bed seems really inviting after such a long night."

She grabs a rag and hastily begins wiping the bar and tables. As she passes the front door, she latches it. "I'll just straighten up for a moment. I don't think we'll open again until it gets close to supper."

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I nod. That does sound inviting. Good thing there's already one awaiting me upstairs. "I couldn't agree more. If you're fine here, I think I'll go and have a rest myself."

I bow slightly, then head upstairs, pulling off my gauntlet as I go. Next comes my tunic before I slide into bed beside Liadan. She stirs but does not wake. Stifling a yawn, I wrap my arms around her and close my eyes, drifting off quickly.

 

[SomethingToPonder]

"Not a problem good sir, I apologize if I offended you, it was not my intentions.I am truly sorry for your loss, that party member who murdered your mentor did so of his own accord and without consenting with the rest of us. Goodbye priest of Tyr."

I turn to leave then rethink my plan.

"perhaps there is something you may be able to help me with, Do you happen to have any books on the dragons that once roamed these lands?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

I smile at Burnbright. "Then strive to be Veborg, my dear." I prefer her to be an honest girl, so I will not encourage otherwise. She sleeps against my back, which is sweet... and it also makes it easier for me to relax, and still stay awake for Masama.

He discovers what Mauve could not. "You're amazing!" I tell him, "I suspected the necklace would do that... well, that and several very different incorrect guesses as well. I believe you're right, anyway, and I'm glad of it. A friend of mine taught me how to swat arrows from the air. I'll never be good at it, though. And last time I faced an archer, I discovered what a tempting target I am."

I show Masama my two rings. "How good are you at this meditation thing? I have two rings. One, I know exactly what it does. The other, I have a rough idea. Would you be interested in meditating with the rings?"

 

[Steerpike]

Quiet in the World

As the early hours pass toward mid-morning and beyond, Arendal and the surrounding are quiet, as though the land and all of its creatures share a collective rest after the events of the night before. No more patrons come to the Spear, traffic on the streets of Arendal, already light, dwindles to nothing. Bright sunlight glistens on the snow and ice and a cool breeze sweeps up from the sea, carrying the smell of salt with it.

In the Spear, Aga finishes her duties and hauls a couple of thick blankets to the door of the Spear, where she makes herself a bed, able to hear any who might knock on the door of the inn. Within the temple of Tyr, the priest speaking to Arendal frowns at the question of books on dragons, then waves a hand. "We do have a history of the Great War, and the times just before. There may be something on dragons in that. You're welcome to stay and read it, but I can't allow it to be taken from the temple."

Cadell and Liadan rest undisturbed, and Gisla sleeps quietly as well, still recovering from the battle. In the woods around Arendal, others of the party who have not stayed in town find warmth in their fires and seclusion in the trees and landscape, and are also able to sleep.

In the cave, Burnbright drifts into a heavy sleep. Masama takes Baldhart's rings and says "My powers of meditation are limited. Were my old master here, he might meditate upon all of these at once. I can only attempt one at a time, and I must rest in between. Let me sleep a while, and I will discern what I can of the next one." He looks around at the occupants of the cave. "We should all sleep. None disturbed this cave through the night, and Asra willing none will do so while the the bright orb of the goddess is in the sky."

And so time passes, either in sleep, quiet contemplation, reading, or healing, and the sun is disappearing below the western horizon before there is general wakefulness once more.

((Those staying awake, feel free to post a bit about what you're doing during this time period if you like)).

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart, Before Bedtime

I let Masama keep the ring that may heal, or may contain the power of my people--the primeval wall... or perhaps it is something sinister, which forces one to remain animate as he bleeds out. I must not hint at what I think; it will cloud Masama's meditation... I guess. I wonder if I can learn this technique.

You're a fighter, Baldy.

As you are, Nissa. But you are wiser than I. Can an old valkyrie learn new tricks?

Just sleep, Baldy.


Baldhart, Near-Dusk

Wow... slept the whole day away, didn't I, Nissa? Umm... Nissa!

She's... she's not in the flames. She's not in... me. But I... relax, Baldy. Remember Gisla's words: Brynhild is strong in you. Nissa is gone, but not because I failed.

Thank the goddess! Her dress is gone, too. Maybe she meant to wake me, but she would have made some noise if it was urgent. She must have just left. Perhaps her leaving my body woke me. No matter. I'll wait a few minutes.



Nissa, High Noon

Everyone is sleeping... oh, but not little Branwen.

"Hi, Branwen," I whisper. "My big, silly cousin will sleep all day." Silly cousin who killed your mother. Glad you're okay with that. Will you show more love to Baldy and Alin and Mauve? It seems to be the case, so I show her love in a way the mortals cannot. I show her how my wings work. "Can you move them up and down like this, Branwen." I move them. "Wings," I say. "Flap, flap, flap." I don't fly. Just flap for now. In Asgard, we don't have flying lessons. We just know. And it's not like we can hurt ourselves in the afterlife anyway. I hope I'm doing this right. I touch Branwen's wings and say the word again: "Wings." Can she mimic me? "Flap, flap, flap."

Ten minutes pass, then twenty. It occurs to me that I'm not close to the flames. My body responds to the chill. Best the men are sleeping. "Why don't you sleep, too, Branwen?"

As for me, I will not. This is a new body. The wounds of the old body are gone. But this new body... I must take care of it. I need to know how long I will stay like this. I take the dress, and the scimitar as well. Can I fly up with this weapon, or must I fight from the ground? I stay close to the fire as I practice with the sword on land, so if Branwen can't sleep, at least she won't get too close to the blade. I'll try flying with the weapon, and use flying attacks if it's not too much for my two arms. It's nice not needing a torch. The dagger... I can sheathe that. But for now, I'll fly unarmed.

Wheeeeee...!

Out of the hidey-hole! Into the air! As high as I dare fly!

Masama's right that this day brings peace. Nothing but snowy treetops and cool air! If I can fit Baldy's cold ring, I'll borrow it. Else, I best learn to deal with the cold. Our people walk barefoot in the snow. But I got little human feet. I know what to do...

...and seeing how I've been out an hour, I think it's safe to say, thank you, Brynhild! I don't know why, but you answered the prayer I dared not ask of you. You gave me the gift of life! I know I'll only have this as long as Baldhart lives, but it's more than I dared hope for!

I take Baldy's small purse and more coin than I need.

I will see if the leather worker is around. Boots would be nice, and a backpack meant only to contain my wings. In Arendal, I am known. I will fly here. But in the next town, I walk, only to fly in battle. I should see a tailor as well. Undergarments would be nice, and more than one dress.

But before I go to a shop, there is someone I should see right away. Poor Fiona... she looked so dejected when I left her.

I land at the temple door and let myself in. Perhaps Tyr knows of me. Brynhild, if demons can walk the world, why not me? It is the dark side that broke the rules, while I only help to make things right for mortals. Still... I will address the people here before we leave, and ask for discretion.

If I see Fiona, I will come to her. If not, I will ask where I can find her. If anyone asks what I want of her, I'll simply say, "I was forced to depart in the middle of our conversation. I'm afraid I hurt her feelings. I don't want her to think I had more important things to do, I was simply weak after the battle and... now I'm not." I'm stronger than I ever was, even on the day I stood toe-to-toe with an orc!



Baldhart, Nearer-Dusk

Been a while... and wow, the sun will soon be down! I better gather berries while I wait for Nissa.

((Humming "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" as she picks...))

((...and if woad plants do exist, I guess the sun went down on her!))

((@SP, let me know if these rolls are legal and/or if the woad roll is necessary. If Baldy can gather plants for making woad paint, I suppose she needs to buy equipment, like a mortar and pestle or something.))

 

[SomethingToPonder]

I smile and bow slightly to the priest.
"Thank you, You have my gratitude."

I go over to where he shows me the books are and begin to flick through the book looking for any relevant information relating to the ancient language of the dragons and any other information that may lead me to an artefact of ancient times past.

((Aldar has the power to speak (and possibly read?) the language of the dragons so perhaps there may be information in there that others glossed over as a forgotten language or something similar, here's hoping))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa

As I enter the temple, looking for Fiona, I see Aldar reading. I think I'll pull up a chair.

Wow... human furniture is so big. I wonder how odd it must be to humans to see the chair moving, but they can't see who's pushing it. And, I suppose when they see my wings, that will only add to the confusion. No matter. I am alive and Arendal knows of me. I have nothing to hide.

I finally get the chair close to Aldar. He's reading, so I won't bother him. I will stand on the chair and look around once more for Fiona. Failing that, I'll see who speaks to me first: a priest, or Aldar, or are there children here that might know where Fiona can be found?

 

[Steerpike]

The Cave

Masama accepts the ring from Baldhart, promising to learn what he can of it when he awakes. Burnbright remains in a deep slumber by Baldhart, her body warm and her breathing quiet.

When Baldhart sleeps and it is just Nissa and Branwen, the small harpy watches Nissa carefully, then emulates her movement by flapping her wings. Branwen enjoys it, letting out a laugh at times as she watches Nissa, the sound causing Masama to carefully open one eye to see what is going on, before closing it again and drifting back to sleep.

Although Branwen emulates Nissa's actions, it becomes clear to Nissa that the little harpy does not yet have enough strength in her wings to allow her to fly. Without knowledge of harpy physiology, Nissa can't predict the age at which Branwen might be able to fly.

Arendal

The priest provides Aldar with a single, thick book on the Great War and the days before it. There are sections on dragons, on their part in the war, and on the binding of the dragons after. Most of it is common knowledge. There are a few paragraphs or asides that look to be written in some draconic script. Aldar believes he could decipher them, but it will take some hours of study to make progress on it.

The priest is near when Nissa enters, and his eyes widen despite himself. "So," he says, "it is true." The priest nods. "Yes, talk spreads like wild fire in this town. I have heard of the small one claiming to be a valkyrie of Brynhild. Perhaps you are, and perhaps you are not. Evil often takes a pleasing form to catch us unaware, and I find myself doubting that a servant of Brynhild would be caught up in the murder of a high priest of Tyr. Still, that you served us against the demons from the sea is not in question."

When Nissa asks about the children, the priest gives a faint smile. "Fiona and Rionach? I've known them since they were wee bairns. Good lasses, both. And a bit of fire to Fiona, if you ask me."

Suddenly he seems to remember who, or what, he is supposedly talking to, and a cloud passes over his face. "Now what would a self-proclaimed valkyrie of Brynhild be wanting with those two? Is something terrible to befall them? Are you to take them to the next life?"

((For the berries, a normal gathering roll. No roll needed to find woad plants)).

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa

"A pleasing form? Why, thank you. My mother was human--a 'petite' woman by your standards--and my father was a halfling. I was always regarded as 'cute' by my people. They called me The Quarterling. Half halfling, though that's actually a human term for my people. Halflings don't think of themselves as 'half' of anything. Oh, and speaking of names, I am Nissa van Donk. Please, call me Nissa. And you are?"

I give him time to respond. I call him by name as I continue.

"Regarding my service to Brynhild, it began 789 years ago when I was struck down by an orc at the age of nineteen. Too many think Brynhild's valkyries need to go down in a blaze of glory in a famous battle, but I was brain-dead from a single blow from my first and only opponent... well, my only opponent until recently, that is. Brynhild chose me for my compassion, which you may or may not realize is an important part of a valkyrie's duties.

"That said, you misunderstand my part in Father Geralt's murder. I am here as a guide to a woman who, by no coincidence, is descended from my maternal grandparents. The people from my mom's side tend to call upon ancestors, and such rituals had caught my attention every now and then. Long story short: when I spotted my cousin... cousin, thirty times removed... I asked to seek her out--as in, speak to her in dreams. How I came to be like this is a mystery to me. What I can tell you is that I have read every thought in Baldhart's head--that's my big cousin--and I can assure you that she knew nothing of Ankari's murderous intent. In addition, she was enraged when news of his trouble came to her attention. If not for a crowd of innocent bystanders, she would have impaled the murderer on her blade. Where she's from, murderers are killed on sight.

"Oh, and she discarded the blade and is officially the only nun in the world who represents my dear goddess. Should you see her--six-foot-nine... that's description enough--kindly refer to her as Sister Eisenberg. It would mean a lot, coming from you, Father. Don't let her size, warpaint, muscles and all that killing-monsters-with-bare-hands business misinform you. She's a sweetheart. It's as you say, Father. Looks can be deceiving.

"As for my interest in the girls, it may seem trivial to you, but to me it is not. After the battle, I was telling Fiona how her bravery saved lives as she stood up to Ghendra, the gnoll leader, but I had to end our conversation rather abruptly. My body was weak from a wound I took as I put myself between Gisla and a demon. I had to go, and Fiona seemed so dejected. She might have thought I had 'more important' things to do than speak to a child, and I don't want to leave her with that impression. The truth is the contrary. None are more important than children.

"You understand, don't you Father? My wings are the same as your priestly robes in the sense that one who sees me knows I represent Brynhild; one who sees you knows you represent Tyr. For either of us to make a child feel insignificant, even by accident or through no fault of our own, such an error is contrary to the ways of Tyr, Brynhild, Freya or any of the good gods and goddesses. Why I get a second chance at life is beyond my understanding, but I will not misuse this blessing by letting a child feel as if she is nothing. Now, would you be so kind, Father, as to direct me to Fiona and Rionach? You may accompany me or send one you trust, if you prefer."




Baldhart

I rest with Burnbright a little more, studying the freshly picked woad. I need to buy some equipment. I wonder if Burnbright will mix paint with me.

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron hears Nissa talking with Branwen, waking him from his slumber. Judging by the muscle pain and the way he felt, he figured he had slept most of the day. The night was long (andfull of terror) with endless conflicts. He also had not felt totally secure in previous camps. The cave made it almost impossible for an enemy to get to them without being heard and the twomen and three females in the cave were as close to trusted as he ever knew. But trust had its limits; head justs the grip on his scimitar that he slept with.
Aliron’s hood is pulled up so no one could see his eyes were open, he watches Nissa working with Branwen. Then he checks on the other occupants in the cave. Baldhart and Bressel appeared to be resting, Masama is not in his view without turning hishead.
The fire is burning low and he sees some twigs and sticks, so he moves quietly and stokes the fire. Now looks around for Masama.
He leans back checking the bow and quivers of arrows. He only had a few elven arrows left, but the quivers were full of the town people’sarrows. Everything elves created showed craftsmanship and had an artistic aurato them, the townspeople only had serviceable arrows, built with purpose and no pride. He doubted he would find an elven fletcher anywhere nearby though. His art was to plant these bladed sticks into people that opposed him as quicklyand quietly as possible. It was an art form that not many respected, but he was becoming a master craftsman.
He slips a whetstone out of his pocket and begins to work on his blades. The old trusted Longsword, the new and magical scimitar, and the dagger he kept hidden.
“You will be flying high before very long, Branwen.” Aliron says quietly.
"Morning Nissa...or is it evening?"
(written with word and copied to here, so many spaces were taken away in the transfer, I think I got most corrected. None of them were in the original document.)