Random Jobs to Help the Village

Missions:

The day had just started and yet there was a knock it the door of the cabin of the young wolf. He would open his door to find a parcel in the hand of a delivery shinobi with his name on it. Loghain would nod and accept the mail before the messenger vanished in a sprinting flash towards the village. Opening it up, there were orders inside. It was a rather odd request, fairly mundane in nature but that meant that it would be a far simpler task than one that needed a more advanced skillset. He was to head towards a local farm and collect some eggs to be delivered to a grocery store in the village. The wolf would get dressed in a loose plain grey shirt and dark breeches and begin his trek to the farm. Hopefully he would meet up with the others that were assigned these tasks.
 
It wasn’t long before the farm was in view. Loghain would approach, finding an older man spreading some sort of feed out for his chickens to eat. The wolf would approach, the birds scrambling to get away from the approaching predator. The man would look up, giving a silent nod and waving the unlikely errand boy into the chicken coop. “Eggs are in there. I’ve already crated them up. You just have to take them to the store in the village. I would have made the trip myself but… I’m just getting too old to walk that far. Please make sure the eggs get to the village safely.” Loghain would nod quietly, grabbing one of the crates of eggs and beginning his trip to Hoshi.
 
Should another have showed up for this mission, Loghain would hope that they would assist either by grabbing a second crate of eggs or perhaps by helping in some other capacity. The trip back to the village of Hoshi was a fairly straightforward and uneventful one, barely anyone walking on the road would get close enough to Loghain to cause issue, instead giving him a wide open path. Perhaps they were simply being considerate, or maybe they were being cautious. Either way, the gates would be standing tall before them.
 
The gate guards were particularly busy today it would seem, as several people were overwhelming the pair of soldiers standing there. “You, Loghain!” One of the guards would shout out to the wolf. “We don’t have the manpower to send someone to watch you. You’ll have to wait here until this traffic dies down.” The eggs were all safe, but the wolf had no intention of waiting around getting nothing done. Perhaps he could assist in directing some of these people where they needed to go. He would ask the folks what brought them to the village. Several people were asking where they could find the various temples and churches, while some others were looking to sell their wares. One couple was visiting family. None of them seemed like they were withholding information, nor did any of them appear to be of the unsavory sort.  Loghain would assist to the best of his ability, though without someone to keep an eye on him in the village he wouldn’t be permitted to guide them to the various places himself. Perhaps another could assist by leading them to the specific areas.
 
Once the traffic had been reduced, the gate guards would give their thanks and allow entry, one of the pair guiding the shinobi to where they needed to go. The village was busy, the streets filled with various folks peddling their wares as best they could. The wolf could smell various scents in the air of food being cooked, causing the wolf to salivate. He hadn’t eaten breakfast before starting this whole ordeal, and it was nearly lunch time. It would have to wait until after the tasks were complete. He would take the eggs to the grocer, the man looking at a clock and shaking his head. “This delivery is late! Better late than never I guess… give those eggs here. I have several people waiting on these.” The man would rapidly begin removing the eggs from the crate and stacking them into smaller packages for individual homes. “Since you were late would you mind helping me out? There is an old lady that had been waiting for not only these eggs, but also several other things for her dinner. I have several deliveries to make, so would you take on this one?” It was a simple task, and the wolf would nod in acceptance.
 
He would begin to make his way to the address supplied by the grocer.

"Whew, that was one hell of a workout i got to do that again sometime", the young senju had thought to himself as he took a sip of his water. He had been working out most of the morning doing varies workouts to improve his speed and stamina , something that he valued over the other skills that he could be working on and since he already knew his chakra reserves were pretty high Zeref thought that it was time to try working on a new jutsu to learn but before he could finish his workout he could here someone start to approach him. "Im in the middle of some good training here , so i hope whatever your bringing me it better be worth my time or ima be highly pissed off", Zeref said in an annoyed tone. He hated when he was interrupted from training especially when he feels the session is going as good as its been that day, not to mention he was being interrupted in hiss favorite part of training. "My apologies sir , but im not sure what mission they have assigned you too , im only here to deliver the letter to you so dont blame me for having to stop your training", the messenger said before he handed Zeref the letter and then leaving quickly just as he arrived.

Looking at the letter Zeref realized he be going on the mission with one his team mates and seeing as though its been a while since he seen him , Zeref thought it be a good idea since they do need to catch up. He made his way to the farm and was able to get there just in time to be helpful, he quickly follow behind sebastian lead and grabbed some crates himself. As they made they way to the gate Zeref had forgot that his team mate needed an escort around the village , so instead of leaving without him he thought it be best to just wait around until they both would be allowed into the village. It did make Zeref wander what kinda power his team mate had that would require him to need a guard around the village , but then again he didnt really care all that much so once they got inside the village he just followed him to the drop off spot. After they listen to the man complain for a second, something Zeref didnt really care to hear but since they were late he didnt really argue with the man. It did surprise Zere though when the man had asked them to do some deliveries for them but before he could say anything his partner had accepted the mission for them. WIth a smile zeref looked at his team mate, "Lead the way bro", Zeref would say in a kind tone.

Taking the grocery delivery to its destination might not have been an exciting task but it was far better than his previous one had been. Keeping pace for the egg delivery schedule didn’t leave a ton of time for the pair of teammates to catch up properly. “So Zeref, how has the training been going? Have you mastered any new ninjutsu techniques?” It was a simple question, though one that Loghain figured would break the ice. The pair didn’t truly know one another that well, at least not beyond the most basic of things, so hopefully this would open a dialogue between the two. Knowing and trusting those that have your back in a dangerous mission was key.
 
The soldier escort would keep his distance, yet was close enough to engage should anything occur. It was a persistent reminder of his current status, and why he must always remain vigilant and in complete control. Otherwise far too much blood would spill, be it those around him or his own. Likely both.
 
The trip was a surprisingly long one, taking nearly thirty or so minutes from the time of their departure, even with their increased shinobi mobility. The solid brick building was fairly mundane, yet it had a certain quality to it that made the wolf grin. Sebastian would glance over, making certain that the guard gave a nod of approval before Loghain would lightly knock at the wooden door with three quick taps in succession. *clack clack clack*.
 
“Be there in just a moment.” An elderly ladies voice would call down from the second floor. It felt like an eternity waiting for the solid wood door to slowly creak open. A portly old woman with grey hair tied up in a bun would meet them, a beaming smile on her face. The lady had to be in her sixties or seventies, judging by how slowly and delicately she moved around with her wooden cane to assist. “Come on in and place the groceries on the table.” She would slowly make her way towards the kitchen, the duo with the delivery able to finally see its destination. “It has been so long since I’ve had any company over. Would you care to join me for lunch?” The growling stomach of the wolf would speak before he had any chance to reply. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt.” Loghain would turn his head to his companion, seeing if Zeref would like to join for lunch as well.

WC: 414
TWC: 1190

Anastasia woke up that morning with a new stack of missions to complete. They didn’t seem to be urgent so the Akari Genin would start her day with her normal routine of meditation, exercising, and training before getting ready and eating breakfast. Once that routine was completed, she would leave the apartment and make her way to the location of the first mission. She didn’t bother with weapons or armour as they didn’t seem necessary for the mission at hand.

The first mission, pick up and deliver some eggs to a store in the village, required her to visit a chicken farm on the outside of the village. Luckily it wasn’t far from the main gates, so she walked a leisurely pace to make it there. It was about that time that a couple people from the village was about to leave with a crate of eggs. Most likely they were also tasked to do this mission. They were both about the same height of her, perhaps an inch or two taller. One was bulkier than she was, with fairly plain features, no facial hair, and long dark hair. The other was slightly less bulky, with slightly darker skin, black hair, and red eyes.

Luckily there were other crates that needed to be brought along. Anastasia would grab one and walk a little faster to catch up with the shinobi that had already started making their way out. “Sorry about that.” She said to them, “I didn’t realise I was late.” They would casually walk to the gate where one of the guards addressed him as Loghain and told him that he had to wait there until they could assign someone to escort him. ‘Why would he need an escort?’ she thought to herself, looking at the other person with a raised eyebrow. “That shouldn’t be necessary,” She said to the guard. The guard simply ignored her so she would simply wait with him until they let them through and get to the destination.

They were late as a result, not because of her thankfully, but because they were forced to wait. They dropped off the eggs and the grocer asked them to provide some assistance to an elderly lady that required some assistance. They were joined by another shinobi at that point. That would be no problem, so they walked over to the address provided, the guard keeping his distance, warily watching Loghain. “If you don’t mind me asking,” she said to him, “why does it seem like the guards here treat you like a wild beast? I’ve only just come to Hoshi from my family home in the north and I’ve never seen them treat anyone like how they’re treating you.” They’d arrived at the address not long after and the old lady that lived there welcomed them in and offered to get them some lunch. It had been a little while since she’d eaten, but she would decide to accept only if the rest of the group accepted.

The newcomer, a blonde kid who was the same height as Loghain, and had a similar build to the other kid, already accepted, so that decided that. “I would be glad to join you for lunch,” She said to the elderly lady, accepting a sandwich and sitting down at the table. "I am Anastasia by the way," she said, introducing herself.

WC: 562

There was a new face tagging along with them, one that he hadn’t seen prior. That wasn’t completely unexpected, since his interactions with other villagers had been fairly limited due to his particular situation. Still, her presence was very hard not to notice. Flowing hair like golden thread, shining in the daylight sun with an intensity that caught him off guard. She was very polite, apologizing for her tardiness. It wasn’t as though she was that late, but the wolf would simply nod in acceptance of her apology. “It is nothing to worry about, I am certain it was not intentional.”
 
At the gates when they had to wait and help explain to folks where they needed to go to reach their destinations, the golden haired lass would ask a question as to why Loghain was being treated as he was. “They have good reason to. I can be dangerous…” He would say without divulging further. His unfortunate condition wasn’t something he wanted to share with strangers, even if they were his fellow shinobi allies. Perhaps in time, but for now he would keep the details to himself.
 
Their trip to the elderly ladies house couldn’t have been more awkward. It was filled with a silence, Zeref seemingly lost in thought. The question about the Senju’s training was left unanswered, yet maybe he didn’t feel comfortable speaking about his personal growth in front of the young lady. For one so brash and headstrong, his timidity before a lady was strange. Perhaps he was just shy… Once inside, the elderly lady would offer lunch and a young man would speak up, stating that they were pretty good. Loghain assumed that this young man was likely her relative, yet something was off. No, his demeanor was a bit off and he seemed to have the physique of a well-trained warrior. He also had blonde hair, something that wasn’t particularly common… at least on any day other than this one it would seem. The golden haired lady would accept the offer of lunch, all but confirming that the hungry wolf would also join in.
 
The elderly woman would walk slowly to the kitchen counter to prepare their sandwiches. A quick flick of his nostrils and a whiff of the air would let the wolf know that there was to be meat on these sandwiches, or at least some of them. He couldn’t get a good view from here. A second scent, this one of mustard. “I’ll have some of that mustard as well, if you don’t mind.” The golden haired woman would introduce herself as Anastasia. “Pleasure to work with you. I am Sebastian Loghain. You said that you moved here from the North? I’m not entirely familiar with what lies North of Hoshigakure. What is your homeland like? And what differences are most noticeable, other than the escort waiting for me right outside that is?”
 
The wolf would glance over to the blonde who seemed to enjoy the ladies sandwiches. “Will you be joining us for lunch?” Loghain couldn’t help but notice the scar across the young man’s eye, likely a constant reminder of a past battle. Loghain had no such scars, his body having the tendency to heal itself back exactly how it had been before. “I didn’t catch your name. Are you here helping this woman as well?” The wolf asked, hoping this meal would be far less quiet than their walk over here had been.

WC:576

Cole watched as the three sat down around the table to wait for the lady to finish making the extra sandwiches she would need to feed all of them. While they were all getting comfortable talking started with the blond girl asking for mustard. The guy that’s build rivaled that of Cole asked the girl very politely Cole thought anyway about her homeland to the north. Cole himself didn’t know much about the area around Hoshi and wanted to change that at some point. He had also picked up their names among their conversation the girl was named Anastasia while the guy was named Sebastian Loghain. Cole would let them continue to talk for a moment not wanting to be rude and interrupt them. Once they had finished their conversation, which Cole would listen to, he could hopefully learn a bit more about the land around Hoshi. 


Not long after they finished the big buy Sebastian turned and asked if Cole was going to be eating lunch with them. “Yea I normally stay and eat lunch and talk with her for a little while” he would tell Sebastian in answer. Then in a low whisper “I think she is starting to go senile she has me come to move the same thing all the time and always forgets who I am” he added. “By the way, my name is Cole River” he would tell the group in a more normal tone. Not long after the old lady would walk back into the room and sit down a plate of sandwiches. Cole would grab one and a napkin to use as a plate and take a bite. “So what are you all doing today got any missions I’m done with everything I had for today.” He would ask between bites.


(WC-299)

Dangerous? It was an odd choice of words. From a philosophical standpoint anything could be dangerous. Technically speaking, all shinobi were dangerous in some way, shape or form. It was an evasive answer to a question that had no reason to be so. However, Anastasia was not the kind of person to pry, at least not without just cause. He had not given her just cause, so she would leave him be for now. One’s past was not something one tread lightly through. Her question as they walked to the old woman’s home was also left unanswered. That raised a small red flag in her head. Clearly the village leadership knew something about him that they didn’t want to become public knowledge, but at the same time, they weren’t being overly secretive about the measures they were taking towards him. It was a strange situation indeed, and one that she would want to investigate that further down the road.

When they had all accepted the invitation to lunch, Sebastian Loghain as he introduced himself, decided to ask Anastasia about herself. She was quite proud of her lineage as an Akari, and quite happy to discuss. “My father, Andonikos Akari, is the younger brother of Countess Himari Akari, who to my knowledge currently sits on the Red Council, the civilian governing body that replaced the previous monarchy. The Akari clan holds land in the north of Haven Country where we maintain a large castle. There are good number of outbuildings and a small town around it. Not as large as Hoshigakure by any means, but it had its charms. Most of the people that live up there have either no religious affiliation, or their religions aren’t anti-shinobi, meaning there’s relatively little conflict. My father acts as the alderman for the town and castle, second in authority out there only to my Aunt. I moved here because I’ve learned all I could from my family’s home, and it was time for me to forge my own path. I am proud to be able to help provide for this country that has done so much for my clan and myself.” The sense of pride could indeed be felt coming from her. Young, idealistic, but not naïve, she’d learned that lesson.

She looked at Sebastian after finishing her little story, “what about you, Sebastian? Assuming you are fine with me calling you Sebastian. Where do you hail from?”

After he’d answer, he would turn to the other blonde in the room and ask him if he was also joining the group, to which he said yes, and then introduced himself as Cole River. “Nice to meet you Cole,” Anastasia would say to him. “I’m not sure, I’m pretty sure we’ve completed all of our other missions for the day, unless I’ve missed something.” She’d turn to look at Loghain for confirmation. “If we do, I’d have no issue with you joining us for the rest.”

WC: 491
TWC: 1053

The young woman would offer up an answer to the questions asked about her homeland, one that made it very clear that she was not just some woman but instead a noble lady. Now that he heard her story, things started to piece together. Her clothes, her demeanor and manners… even her scent. A subtle hint of rare perfumes wisps from her, a sign of her status.
 
“You may call me as you wish, Lady Anastasia. I was born and raised here in Hoshigakure, though I come from much more humble beginnings. I grew up in the laborers district, learning what I could to help provide for my mother and assist the church when able. It wasn’t much, but it was honest work. Sometimes I miss the simplicity of that life...My experience with the church has always been positive. The church has always been kind to those of us in the district, taking care of those that have troubles and those unable to help themselves. If more people cared for those around them the world would be a brighter, kinder place.” This was of course far from the typical views shinobi held of the church, though Loghain was brought up as a common laborer, not as a shinobi soldier. “Though my status in the village has changed, I still try to regularly bring supplies to the church and those that need them, usually in the form of logs to process into lumber for building homes.” It wasn’t much, but he thought it was helping and so he continued to do such. “It is the least I can do.”
 
Loghain was starting to get lost in thought, wondering if the church knew of his affliction when the blonde by the name of Cole River spoke up. It was a shame, hearing that this kind old lady was starting to lose her mental faculties. She would walk over and set down a plate of sandwiches for everyone to enjoy. The wolf would look up at her, offering a kind smile and a “Thank you.” Loghain would lift his sandwich to his mouth and take a large bite, the tang of mustard ever so present and perfectly accenting the meats she chose to use for this sandwich. Not wanting to talk with a mouth full of food, he would finish his bite before answering. “The only other task I was given is to learn about these lands we live in. Does your family also hail from Hoshigakure, Cole?” Perhaps Cole would be able to shed some light on his origins, and in turn help show another perspective of Hoshi and its culture.
 
WC: 439
TWC: 2205