Post by Nedward Underhill on Oct 28, 2008 22:28:38 GMT -6
The rain beat down upon Old Town drearily. Looking out of the small window of his upstairs flat in Stormwind, Nedward sighed tiredly.
It was not much of a home. Just a rundown flat above the Pig and Whistle Tavern. The small candle flickered and spat, casting distorted shadows across the wall. The muted sound of thumping music wafted up from below. But the boys were safe. At least he had somewhere to keep them.
He was not as young as he used to be, and his back gave him trouble, but he would not forget the promise he had made to their mother, poor thing. He shook his head and had another sip of port. Too many sad memories.
And those boys were doing their best to kill him. Running all over, firing themselves out of catapults, and generally throwing themselves into harms way. Not one shred of sense. If he were not around there was no telling what sorts of trouble they would get into.
Nedward turned from the window towards the sleeping boys. On the worn human cot on the other side of the room, the silhouette of their sleeping forms could be made out, one on either end of the bed. Juri was snoring loudly, as usual. A rare smile unwrinkled the furrows on his brow as he gazed at the boys. He had “sheeped” young Yorge today. It was well deserved of course, but he felt a twinge of compassion for the troublesome rascal. He had had his own rebellious youth, after all. Still, boys needed to learn respect, and mocking their uncle for his shorts, and *especially* telling the old priestess Magdha he was indecently dressed was downright humiliating! He had simply been airing out his old knees. She did not need to know!
Perhaps tomorrow he would treat them to a tale of great Gnomeregon, and the ways of the Gnomeregon court. The boys always loved his old tales, from back when he was the Chief Secondary Assistant Bookkeeper to the Undersecretary of Electrical Widgets. Well, actually, it was more like Supplemental Chief Secondary Assistant Bookkeeper, but no one needed to know such details. It was an important position, at the time.
Nedward finished his port and, with a small moan due to his aching joints, slipped off the chair and prepared for bed. He had converted a human’s crib into a bed for himself, piled high with firm down pillows. Carrying his candle over to the washbasin, he set it down carefully and began to sponge himself clean, muttering, out of habit, “a clean body shows a clean mind.”
Once done, he went over to Juri and gave him a swift poke with his staff. “Boy! Roll over. You are driving us crazy with that infernal snoring!” Juri sputtered and rolled off his back, ending the noise. Hopefully he would be asleep with his earplugs in before it started up again.
Moving to the other end of the bed, Nedward saw that Yorge had crawled completely under the covers. “Probably to dampen the noise,” he chuckled to himself. Still, he wanted a last look at the boy before he went off to sleep, so he pulled the covers back… and found a pumpkin where Yorge’s head should have been. Sweeping the covers off, he found down pillows carefully organized into the shape of a sleeping gnome, with a pumpkin head. “Yo-o-o-orge!!”
Juri sat up at the noise and sudden chill. “Uncle needs medicine?”
Tossing the covers back over him, Nedward snapped, “Go back to sleep, boy. It’s your brother I want.”
“And still he is not being awake?! Hey Yorge! When uncle call is time for you to be up from bed!!”
”Gaaaa! Shut up! Does *that* look like Yorge, you fool?!” Nedward pointed fiercely.
Juri craned his neck for a better look.
“Of course not uncle. Is pumpkin but for the some reason Uncle is yelling at it! Juri not see how this will help with the finding of Yorge but Mama say do whatever Uncle is telling, so Juri will also yell at pumpkin! YOOOOOORRRRGGGEEEE!!”
Flailing his arms, Nedward shouted, “I am not yelling at a pumpkin, you nitwit! Yorge has run off…again! Now go back to sleep!”
Juri lay back down. No longer at all tired, Nedward took his staff and stomped over to the table. He would wait up all night if need be. And when that rogue tried to sneak back in, he would learn a lesson he would not soon forget!
In the silence, Nedward’s fingers drummed on the table. Then, Juri’s voice: “If Yorge is running off again, why is Uncle taking it out on helpless pumpkin with the yelling and the shouting? Is no point. Pumpkin is not having the ears so is not hearing Uncle anyway!”
Nedward sighed. They would kill him…
It was not much of a home. Just a rundown flat above the Pig and Whistle Tavern. The small candle flickered and spat, casting distorted shadows across the wall. The muted sound of thumping music wafted up from below. But the boys were safe. At least he had somewhere to keep them.
He was not as young as he used to be, and his back gave him trouble, but he would not forget the promise he had made to their mother, poor thing. He shook his head and had another sip of port. Too many sad memories.
And those boys were doing their best to kill him. Running all over, firing themselves out of catapults, and generally throwing themselves into harms way. Not one shred of sense. If he were not around there was no telling what sorts of trouble they would get into.
Nedward turned from the window towards the sleeping boys. On the worn human cot on the other side of the room, the silhouette of their sleeping forms could be made out, one on either end of the bed. Juri was snoring loudly, as usual. A rare smile unwrinkled the furrows on his brow as he gazed at the boys. He had “sheeped” young Yorge today. It was well deserved of course, but he felt a twinge of compassion for the troublesome rascal. He had had his own rebellious youth, after all. Still, boys needed to learn respect, and mocking their uncle for his shorts, and *especially* telling the old priestess Magdha he was indecently dressed was downright humiliating! He had simply been airing out his old knees. She did not need to know!
Perhaps tomorrow he would treat them to a tale of great Gnomeregon, and the ways of the Gnomeregon court. The boys always loved his old tales, from back when he was the Chief Secondary Assistant Bookkeeper to the Undersecretary of Electrical Widgets. Well, actually, it was more like Supplemental Chief Secondary Assistant Bookkeeper, but no one needed to know such details. It was an important position, at the time.
Nedward finished his port and, with a small moan due to his aching joints, slipped off the chair and prepared for bed. He had converted a human’s crib into a bed for himself, piled high with firm down pillows. Carrying his candle over to the washbasin, he set it down carefully and began to sponge himself clean, muttering, out of habit, “a clean body shows a clean mind.”
Once done, he went over to Juri and gave him a swift poke with his staff. “Boy! Roll over. You are driving us crazy with that infernal snoring!” Juri sputtered and rolled off his back, ending the noise. Hopefully he would be asleep with his earplugs in before it started up again.
Moving to the other end of the bed, Nedward saw that Yorge had crawled completely under the covers. “Probably to dampen the noise,” he chuckled to himself. Still, he wanted a last look at the boy before he went off to sleep, so he pulled the covers back… and found a pumpkin where Yorge’s head should have been. Sweeping the covers off, he found down pillows carefully organized into the shape of a sleeping gnome, with a pumpkin head. “Yo-o-o-orge!!”
Juri sat up at the noise and sudden chill. “Uncle needs medicine?”
Tossing the covers back over him, Nedward snapped, “Go back to sleep, boy. It’s your brother I want.”
“And still he is not being awake?! Hey Yorge! When uncle call is time for you to be up from bed!!”
”Gaaaa! Shut up! Does *that* look like Yorge, you fool?!” Nedward pointed fiercely.
Juri craned his neck for a better look.
“Of course not uncle. Is pumpkin but for the some reason Uncle is yelling at it! Juri not see how this will help with the finding of Yorge but Mama say do whatever Uncle is telling, so Juri will also yell at pumpkin! YOOOOOORRRRGGGEEEE!!”
Flailing his arms, Nedward shouted, “I am not yelling at a pumpkin, you nitwit! Yorge has run off…again! Now go back to sleep!”
Juri lay back down. No longer at all tired, Nedward took his staff and stomped over to the table. He would wait up all night if need be. And when that rogue tried to sneak back in, he would learn a lesson he would not soon forget!
In the silence, Nedward’s fingers drummed on the table. Then, Juri’s voice: “If Yorge is running off again, why is Uncle taking it out on helpless pumpkin with the yelling and the shouting? Is no point. Pumpkin is not having the ears so is not hearing Uncle anyway!”
Nedward sighed. They would kill him…