Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

So, we brought our fresh kill back.  Well, Graypaw brought it.  I wasn't about to touch it.  I felt dirty just watching him dress it.  Yeah, I was no hunter.  I'll leave that to those who either don't mind or even enjoy that type of stuff.  He brought the carcass to the hunting lodge where it would be butchered and the skin turned into leather.

I couldn't get out of that lodge quick enough.  So, as I rushed out Graypaw finished up whatever it was that hunters do back in there with their prizes.  After a few moments, he came out.  "Was it really that bad?"  He asked.

"Do you really have to ask?"  I responded, every word dripping with sarcasm.  "I'm just not a hunter.  I should have known better than to try.  Oh well, I was glad to have spent some time with you."

He tried to hide the smile that was forming.  "Shall we just walk instead?"  He asked, jestingly.

"If you don't mind."  I said, breathing a sigh of relief.  No more horrible acts or sights for at least a little while.  So we set off.  We walked through the village.  As we passed a hut that was a bit rundown.

A Bastog woman, came running out, "HEY!  HEY YOU!  Have you seen Steven?  Steven is supposed to be bringing me my dinner."  Then, I recognized her.  It was Lilly.  Most people avoid this hut.  She kept several cats in her small hut.  Lilly was a little, well, to put it nicely, irrational.  Ok, she was crazy.  Sometimes she stood on her lawn, throwing balls of yarn at passers-by and other times she would ask about this "Steven".  No one knew who "Steven" was or if he even existed.

"I'm sorry, Lilly we haven't seen Steven.  Maybe he's coming later..."  I said as we slowly backed away.  We were hoping she would just loose interest if we could just get away far enough.  After several steps, she did wander away.  On her way back to her home, she started singing, "Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy.  A kid'll eat ivy too, wouldn't you?..."

Crazy.  Just crazy.  "Well, that was fun."  I said.  Graypaw just shook his head.  "We should be more careful where we walk."  We moved away from Lilly's home as quick as we could.  Almost a run, in fact.  "Would you like to come over to my hut for some dinner perhaps?  I promise there are no crazy Bastogs there."

"I guess I could come over for a while."  He responded, looking around.  He must have been afraid someone might see him say that.  I was amazed he agreed to that proposition.  So we headed to my hut.  He did look around at the door to make sure that no one saw him go in.  Well, at least I got him there.